Venom: Lethal Justice
by XenoSlayer983
Summary: The world has enough superheroes... but none of them have the spine to do what is necessary, nor do they seem to acknowledge the consequences that follow, and Eddie's had enough. With the help of an old friend and his globally influential company, Venom amasses his own group to do what the Justice League won't, while certain females fall for him along the way. Eddie/Harem.
1. Prologue: The Lethal Protector

**A/N: Hey everyone, this is going to be a Venom crossover with Justice League because, hey, there are so few featuring our Lethal Protector. I was inspired to make this story from this guy's harem story, Rider of the League, but with _slightly_ toned down violence and other mature themes.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from any media. I got permission from Dragonlord0 to use his OC, Sean Ashburn Kruger, who will appear in the next chapter.**

 **Enjoy.**

"Talking."

 _'Thinking...'_

 ** _'Symbiote Talking in Eddie's Mind.'_**

 ** _"Venom Speaking."_**

* * *

It was dark in Gotham, and that was a bad thing for the weak and helpless as those who would prey on them come out to get their fresh pickings, nobody survives the night of Gotham without survivor skills. The rules of the homeless of Gotham was killed or be killed, don't trust anybody, survive. Not many survive the nights of Gotham.

Right now, two men were trying to rape a woman. "Get off me!" The woman sobbed as one of the men held her arms while the second was between her legs, pulling his trousers down.

"She'll be a tight one." The second man laughed. "I like tight ones."

 ** _"Then you're gonna love us."_** A deep, demonic voice said beside him and a fist punched him straight in the face, sending him flying back as the second man lets go of the woman and runs for it in fear before a black tendril suddenly reached out and grabbed him around the waist. ** _"We don't think so."_** He lifted up the man and slammed him headfirst into the ground hard, his neck snapping could be heard before the creature made his way over to the second quivering man.

The apparent leader of the two spun around and fell on his ass in shock and fear at the sight before him.

It had a rather monstrous appearance, being bulky, had claws on its fingers, a face with a jaw and large teeth, white jagged lenses, and white veins over its black body.

"Stay back!" He squealed desperately and backed away as far as he was able before hitting a wall. No doubt he was thinking that a demon had come to kill him.

The thing cocked his head quizzically at the would be rapist. **_"You don't actually expect us to listen to you, do you?"_**

"I'll give you anything you want!"

The creature gazed contemplatively at the terrified man, idly noting that the other had just died. **_"We suppose that we_ could _let you go, if you did something for us."_**

The man's face lit up with hope. "Anything you want, I'll do it, just don't kill me please!"

The creature nodded and gave his terms. **_"We want you to take your knife, cut off one of your hands like '127 Hours', then you will cut off your right leg, and then your own heart, if you can manage that, and then give them to us, and we'll leave you alone."_**

The previously hopeful visage turned ashen. "Please don't kill me!" He begged desperately.

 ** _"I guess that means that you won't do as we said?"_** the thing asked rhetorically. **_"That's not very nice, you already said that you'd do anything. Going back on your word like that is really bad form."_** He scolded.

"I don't wanna die!" He wailed, tears and snot now running down his face in rivers.

 ** _"We're sure that the young lady over there didn't want to be raped either, but that didn't seem important to you, so we're really confused by your behavior."_** The creature said in a tone of mild confusion even as he looked at the man with a hungry stare. **_"Weren't we all doing whatever we wanted without regard for others?"_**

The man was at this point just blubbering in incoherent terror and was thus unable to respond.

 ** _"What's the matter? What made you like this, eh? Were you touched inappropriately as well? Because no excuse like that's gonna save you."_**

Without warning, the creature wrapped its large hand around his neck and lifted him off the ground. The man looked like he wanted to shoot a remark of his own, but he was too terrified out of his mind to even speak.

 ** _"Say, you looked, uh, hungry back there, were you?"_** the thing asked. **_"That's funny. So were we!"_**

"What the hell are you?" The thug asked.

Then the right side of its face opened up to reveal half of a man's face, covered in dark veins and slightly-moving tendrils, giving him an almost infected appearance.

 ** _"We… are Venom."_** the two sides spoke at the same time before reforming fully back into the creature's grinning visage.

 ** _"And you… are dinner."_**

The gaping maw opened impossibly wide, it was then the thug found his voice.

"NOOOOO!" He screamed… and then, there was only silence.

The woman kept her eyes closed as she heard the heavy footsteps start walking towards her. She expected to be killed any second, but to her surprise the now named Venom just stood in front of her. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up at the creature's face staring down at her with kind eyes, despite their menacing shape.

 ** _"You really should keep out of dark alleys."_**

Venom turned and started to walk away, but the woman suddenly reached out and grabbed his leg.

"Wait…"

The creature turned back around, looking at her.

"…thank you…"

Venom perked his head up as soon as the sounds of police sirens filled the air.

 _ **"That's our cue."**_ Venom said before turning to the woman one last time. _**"Stay safe."**_

With that, he took a mighty leap towards the top of one of the buildings and disappeared into the night, with the woman watching in awe of her savior.

Venom was no hero. He was something more. _They_ were something more. They were someone that was not afraid to walk the dark path to kill those that have done crime and cannot be redeemed in this world.

In their view, they were a Lethal Protector.

* * *

 **A/N: The prologue's set, and now things will get interesting. I've had this idea after reading the story, Ruler of Ero-Justice by VFSNAKE and of course, The Rider of the League by Dragonlord0. On a further note, I got the idea of asking him for permission to use his OC by checking naruto11222's story, Hell Upon the League, which is a Spawn/Justice League crossover also featuring Sean Ashburn Kruger.**

 **Here's a list of women being added to Eddie's harem.**

 **Anne Weying**

 **Wonder Woman**

 **Batgirl**

 **Supergirl**

 **Power Girl**

 **Galatea**

 **Zatanna**

 **Huntress**

 **Poison Ivy**

 **Harley Quinn**

 **Catwoman**

 **Livewire**

 **Volcana**

 **Killer Frost**

 **Star Sapphire**

 **Cheetah**

 **And more.**

 **Stay tuned and please leave a review.**


	2. Reunions and First Impressions

**In response to That Guy's review, I know that the DC heroines hold onto their beliefs, but they will still join Venom some time in the future if he manages to convince them. Even though they still won't kill, they're just not gonna save some random psychopath from Venom's wrath.**

 **Even though, as you said, Galatea IS supposed to be Power Girl, I'm just going to make them into separate people, if it still counts.**

 **Anyway, this chapter will introduce Dragonlord0's OC, Sean Ashburn Kruger and his company, Global Tech, which makes things interesting for Eddie/Venom and complicated for the Justice League.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Newcomer in Gotham City: Hero or Villain?**

 _We have recently become aware of a new arrival in Gotham who goes by the name of Venom. As you can clearly see by the appended artists' rendition of him, he does not appear to be human and has unknown motives for coming to our city._ _What we do know about him is that he has mostly been sighted in San Francisco since last year._

 _His first known action in our city was to save a young woman from being raped, brutally killing the men who assaulted her and then leaving the police to take the woman home._

 _In spite of saving a young woman from sexual assault, we are hesitant to label him a hero due to his 'take no prisoners' attitude, which is a marked difference from what we are used to from our heroes. Additionally, he seems to be entirely indifferent as to whether people know his name and appearance._

 _Only time will tell which side of the law he is on and what he is here to do. Readers are however encouraged to vote on our poll and give your opinions on whether Venom is a hero or a villain._

Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as Batman, put down the week old newspaper article with a frown, once again trying to puzzle out this new mystery.

Since that day, an ever increasing amount of people had started turning up dead, some of them known criminals and some of them not. Public opinion indicated that people thought of Venom as a sort of anti-hero, someone who had no faith that the law would do the job it was supposed to, so he was taking matters into his own hands.

To his surprise, and dismay, most of the police force were on board with Venom's activities, saying it made their jobs much easier and the streets cleaner. Commissioner Gordon was the most neutral; even after asking questions to the people the monstrous vigilante had saved, he publicly stated he was unsure whether or not Venom was a public threat, and that a decision to carry out an arrest warrant was still in progress.

He didn't believe that slaughtering every criminal was the right way. Venom's behavior was erratic and unpredictable though, he killed some and spared others with no readily apparent reason.

One thing was for sure though… he definitely had the average crook in Gotham shaking in their boots.

Bruce hadn't been able to get any information on the creature at all aside from videos and pictures of him in San Francisco and neither had he managed to confront him. This Venom was remarkably slippery and hard to pin down. He would find him though, find him and put him behind bars.

There was no place for people who killed so easily in Gotham, even if those killed were criminals. After all, how long would it take before he turned his attention on the innocent?

* * *

 ** _'Wake up.'_**

Eddie turned around on the small bed. "Just… give me a moment or two…" He said half-awaken.

Venom sighed. **_'In a moment or two we might end up caught. We need to move.'_**

"You are over-reacting. We'd been in this hotel for a week or so. And nothing happened." Eddie said, sitting up and stretching his arms. "Aside from the occasional crime in progress, and of course laying low from Batman."

A year has passed since the 'incident' and Eddie and Venom are having a double life, saying in one way.

Their lives had changed. By day, they walk across the city, trying to avoid attention and to buy food. By night, they become Venom. They hunt down any type of crime and eliminate it.

Permanently.

Eddie still can't understand why no other hero does this. This is a better solution than just putting criminals behind bars. This takes them out of the map!

 ** _'They are afraid. They have an image to maintain. If they kill someone, villain or not, in front of a group of people, that image would go down the gutter. We don't have that fear.'_**

"Pussies." Eddie scoffed as he walked over the fridge and opened it. "The League puts their egos above everyone else's life and they think it's gonna be that way. I'm just surprised they recruited other heroes who have killed before." he grabbed a can of Fanta and opened it before closing the fridge.

 ** _'Really?'_** Venom asked. **_'Name them.'_**

"Well, there's Wonder Woman." Eddie listed off as he took a sip of his soda. "From what I've heard, she comes from an island full of women with a 'take no prisoners' type of attitude. When she joined the Justice League, she toned down the violence for some god awful reason."

 ** _'Just as I thought. Her time with the League has made her soft and weak.'_** Venom growled. **_'Who else did they corrupt with their shitty ideals?'_**

"Then, there's Huntress." Eddie continued. "She also used to be one of those 'take no prisoners' type of heroes operating in Gotham, hunting down big time gangsters and putting them in an early grave. She and Batman worked together a few times, even. Now she's softened up a bit too, but not entirely. She still kills on the occasion, rarely. Except the League doesn't like it one bit, _especially_ Batman."

 ** _'Did she ever hear of resignation?'_** Venom scoffed. **_'So, who's next?'_**

"Red Arrow. Green Arrow's ex-sidekick, yet another former 'take no prisoners' type of vigilante from Star City. Heard rumors that he's joined a team of the League's sidekicks." Eddie went on. "Even though he's toned down the killing, you know, 'cause the League's watching him, he still believes there's a permanent solution for taking down the scum of the earth, like Huntress does."

 ** _'Is there anyone else who can see through the League's lies?'_** Venom snarled.

"Actually, there is. They call him Red Hood." Eddie finished. "He still goes after big time criminals here like Huntress did, and thankfully he's the only one who's _not_ convinced by the League's words. He went after Joker a few times, but the Batman keeps stopping him for some reason. It's almost like he's got a grudge or something. He's even formed his own small team of vigilantes that think like him and-"

 ** _'Wait.'_** Venom stopped him. _'_ ** _Formed his own team?'_**

"Yeah. That's what I said."

 ** _'Now that you mention it, we need a team of our own… better yet, a_ league _of our own.'_** Venom insisted. **_'If we want to deliver justice, we must do it the right way.'_**

Eddie took a moment to ponder this. Having a vigilante team of his own sounds like a good idea, but he wasn't sure who was willing to join, and asking a few members of the Justice League who were on board with murder was definitely _not_ an option. Not with the primary League members keeping them on watch.

But the biggest problem of all is that this group needs to be government sanctioned in order for scum like the Joker to be taken down.

He needed to find someone with the biggest connections to the government and military. Someone with the most funds to do just that.

 ** _'Don't tell me you forgot about old faces.'_** Venom said with mock disappointment.

That was when it hit Eddie like a ton of bricks.

"Sean? Sean Ashburn Kruger?" Eddie asked, "How'd you…?"

 ** _'Like I said, I know everything.'_** Venom reminded him. **_'Your parents were friends with his, and you watched over him when you were older than him. Inseparable. Like us.'_**

"Yeah, like us." Eddie said with a smile. "His parents died in a car crash six years ago, and mine couldn't take him in. The only family he has are his two sisters, Sarah and Dawn, maybe even me, not counting that deadbeat drunk he calls an uncle."

 ** _'What happened to that shitstain anyway?'_** Venom asked.

"Oh, he won the lottery one day. Won big." Eddie said when his expression turned grim. "Except he tried to take it for himself and tried to kill the twins, but Sean was old enough to man up and haul his ass to jail."

 ** _'Where he belongs.'_** Venom finished. **_'What happened then?'_**

"Sean used the money to create Global Tech, all at the age of fourteen." Eddie explained. "He said he made the company to bring out some new tech to clean up every street in the whole world of crime and pollution for good. Believe it or not, but this guy has the _whole freaking government and military_ backing him up!"

 ** _'Really now?'_** Venom said. **_'How did he manage that?'_**

"His dad was a five star general in the army." Eddie answered. "After he died, his position was given to Talbot. He's a family friend, and he got along well with Sean when he was five, roughly the time I was eighteen. When Global Tech formed, he instantly stepped in to help Sean with his world peace project."

 ** _'I'm liking this guy already.'_** Venom said with clear interest. **_'What about the people who are against this?'_**

"Well, there's only one place that's not on board with Global's big project." Eddie said with disdain as he growled the next two words. "Arkham Asylum."

 ** _'That sorry excuse of a nuthouse?'_** Venom asked with surprise. **_'What do they have against a humble man seeking true justice in the world?'_**

"Well, Sean wanted to press for the death sentence for known killers like the Joker or Scarecrow, but the doctors, guards, freaking janitors, every one of those idiots said they needed a chance to 'rehabilitate' those freaks." Eddie explained, quoting "rehabilitate" with his fingers. "But every time those psychos escape to kill more people and then put back in their loose cages, the staff kept dropping on their knees for more time, then the cycle repeats. Can you believe that?!"

 ** _'Then they are just as guilty.'_** Venom hissed. **_'We'll silence them soon enough. Just you wait.'_**

"You wanna know something else?" Eddie asked. "Sean's entire company supports people that do what the Justice League won't. Funny thing, though: Sean says he hates violence."

 ** _'If we can help him, then he can help us.'_** Venom insisted. **_'That way, people won't lock themselves up at night to keep the monsters away, nor will they rely on cowards in capes and tights who refuse to do what is necessary, just as long as they embrace us, as have you.'_**

That was when another concerning thought crossed Eddie's mind. "What about the League? What if they find out?"

 ** _'The League can kiss our ass. Like I said before, the way I see it, we can do whatever we want, and neither the Bat nor the other caped idiots can tell us otherwise.'_** Venom hissed. **_'Now, how about a little reunion between old friends?'_**

"And here I thought you'd might want some more to eat." Eddie said with a smirk before looking at the pile of four empty bottles of chocolate syrup.

Venom was silent for a moment before he used a tendril to open the door before retracting back into Eddie. **_'Then what are we still here for, Eddie? Let's go.'_**

Eddie chuckled as they headed out the door, ready for their big reunion.

* * *

 **Metropolis, Global Tech**

The 20-year-old CEO was in his office looking over the files and photos of the latest Venom attack. And he couldn't help but smirk.

"Good riddance." he said before a beep on the phone next to him was heard. "Yes, Vic, what is it?" Sean asked kindly.

"Sean, you have a guest right here in the lobby waiting for you." Vic said. "Says he's an old friend."

"Really?" Sean asked with a raised eyebrow. "Who?"

"Eddie Brock."

Sean's eyes widened at the mention of his old friend, and a smile formed on his face before he answered, "I'll be right down!"

He hung up and headed for the door, but not before looking at a picture of both him and Eddie in their younger years, the former five and the latter eighteen, which had them smiling at the camera with their arms around each other's shoulders.

He smiled back before heading out, excited for his reunion.

* * *

Eddie paced around in the lobby waiting for his old friend to show up.

 ** _'If we scare him, should we run like hell?'_** Venom asked.

"No, we never run from an old friend like that, and neither should he." Eddie said. "If he can take it, we can."

"Eddie!"

Eddie turned around to see Sean, with a smile on his face, rushing towards him before wrapping his arms around him in a hug.

"Whoa! Sean!" Eddie shouted excitedly as he returned the gesture before they both let go. "You haven't changed a bit!"

"Speak for yourself! You look like you locked yourself in your room for who knows how long." Sean joked as he pointed at Eddie's stubble.

"Trust me, we've been through worse." Eddie joked back.

 ** _'Understatement of the year.'_** Venom quipped.

"Come on! Let's head to my office. We'll catch up there!" Sean said as he guided Eddie towards the elevator.

* * *

 **Later…**

"Six years of being apart can slow down business, can it, Eddie?" Sean asked as he poured a bottle of Sprite into two glasses before taking one for himself and giving the other to Eddie.

"Trust me, you don't know the half of it." Eddie said as he took a sip.

"I heard what happened at your old job, but I'm glad you got it back now that the Life Foundation's in the dust." Sean said. "I'm still a bit disappointed you decided to post than host, am I right?"

"Oh, hosting is the least of my problems." Eddie replied with a chuckle.

 ** _'Better not give ourselves away too soon.'_** Venom said, but Eddie ignored him.

"So… anything happened here lately?" Eddie asked. "Anything unusual? Anything… _bloody_?"

"Oh, yeah! You must be talking about those Venom attacks!" Sean said. "People have been talking about him lately. People on the streets are calling him a hero for doing the unthinkable, what the Justice League couldn't do, thanks to your posts."

 _ **'Looks like our reputation precedes us.'**_ Venom said.

"So… what do you think about him?" Eddie asked as he took another sip.

"Well, someone needs to get rid of the filth that infects the streets. Permanently." Sean answered, making Eddie surprised at his response.

"That's funny, coming from a guy who hates violence so much." Eddie joked before chuckling as Sean laughed along. "So, I've been hearing a few people are not on board with your ideas. Like…" he gulped and said the next word, "…Arkham."

Sean's smile faded at that part as he spoke, "Oh, yeah. _Arkham_."

"Do you have anything against that hellhole nuthouse, aside from poor security and repeated escapes?" Eddie asked.

"Well, my company has already developed the appropriate technology to cure certain inmates from their conditions, like Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Clayface, Mr. Freeze, anyone who can be saved." Sean explained as he grimaced further. "But those idiots at Arkham are so desperate for their jobs that they keep saying there are other ways of 'curing' their patients. Hmph. Yeah, right."

 ** _'What an ego that place has.'_** Venom said with disgust as he and Eddie watch Sean walk towards the view of the city.

"Even though the entire city of Gotham took Global Tech's side of things, these types of prisons hold their reputations over the safety of innocent lives for the sake of rehabilitating their inmates." Sean said before sighing. "There's gotta be a way to tell them otherwise."

 ** _'Perhaps we should tell him.'_** Venom advised.

"Hey, Sean." Eddie spoke up, grabbing his friend's attention. "Call me crazy, but… _we_ can help you."

"Really?" Sean asked with surprise before it turned into confusion. "Who's 'we'?"

Taking the question as a cue, a long black tendril extended from Eddie's shoulder. The end shifting into a familiar face that grinned at the young CEO.

"…Holy shit…" Sean muttered.

 ** _"What's the matter, Sean? I thought you admired us?"_** the symbiote asked.

Sean looked like he either wanted to freak out or geek out at seeing it, muttering "My best friend's Venom" over and over again.

"To put it short, once we shut the Life Foundation down, we decided to stick together, walking every city, looking for a thrill, and looking for bad guys to maim." Eddie explained.

 ** _"Though we rather enjoy it when they beg."_** said the symbiote, licking its chops. **_"We're never short on snacks that way."_**

Sean cleared his throat, "What… uh, what exactly are you?" he managed to ask.

 ** _"My kind is called the Klyntar. Our homeworld is several lightyears from Earth. We're a symbiotic lifeform who bonds to a host to live. In exchange for our… residence, the host becomes stronger, faster, with many other attributes to sustain both our lives."_** replied the alien.

"Didn't you bite some asshole's head off?" asked Sean, having heard details of the event himself.

The symbiote grinned again, **_"Fuel in the tank. Even though we survive through our host, we still require sustenance. Though, Eddie has convinced us to only devour those who are 'bad'. Those that kill for kicks fit the bill."_**

"Oh, thank God." Sean let out a sigh of relief, before another thought came to his mind. "You're still not planning some sort of invasion, are you?"

 ** _"Never had any plan on doing that."_** Venom said. **_"Besides, I already said I like it here. After all, what's to hate?"_**

Suddenly, they heard an alarm coming from down below the streets, prompting them to look out the window to see a group of armed men entering a building as they exited their van.

"Apparently, that." Eddie said.

"Ah, shit! Intergang!" Sean cursed. "That's the second time this month that they hit this bank!"

"What's so special about it anyway?" Eddie asked.

"There's a large deposit of unrefined gold that would be worth millions." Sean said. "We can't let them get their hands on it."

Eddie looked at him as if his best friend swallowed a jar of peppers. "What are you bitching about, Sean? You forgetting something?"

Sean looked at Eddie, and then at the symbiote, who grinned at him.

 ** _"How about we give this city a wakeup call?"_** Venom asked in a sly tone.

And Sean smiled.

* * *

The quick police cars flipped off their sirens and lights as they gracefully stopped in front of the large bank. Eight police officers showed up in total to scope the banks, as the group slowly walked up the bank's large marble steps.

A strong cop kicked the door open as the group rushed in, guns out in defense as the whole bank had scared civilians on the ground at the mercy of over ten masked gunmen.

"Hahaha! Look, it's the police!" A mercenary holding a rocket propelled gun cackled with a cocky demeanor as he aimed his missile straight at the cops who had just entered into the bank through its entrance.

"Give 'em hell, Randy!" the mercenary in front of him shouted with glee.

The only response he got was a weapon dropping to the ground.

Confused, the mercenary looked to where Randy was, only finding the gun laying on the floor.

"Dammit, Randy! Why you gotta bail on our big payday?!" the mercenary complained as he picked up the gun.

And soon his hand was caught by a thick black tendril shooting from the ceiling, and he didn't have time to look up as he was dragged into the air screaming.

This of course brought everyone's attention as they looked up to the screaming thug, he was suddenly dropped down from the ceiling by the tendrils, letting him fall to the floor with a loud thud.

"Is this some sort of police trick?!" A mercenary with a rifle shouted as he aimed his weapon at the police officers and began to fire off several rounds. The officers took cover as the loud bursts caused civilians outside to scream and run in terror.

A half a minute later the man smirked and stopped firing his weapon, "How many of ya survived that?!" As soon as those words left the criminal's mouth, another black tendril shot from a darker corner of the room as it hit the man's gun and pulled it away, the mercenary slightly panicking with his weapon stolen, "W-What was that?!"

A mercenary holding a pistol shrugged his shoulders as he guarded several bankers, "I don't know what the hell is going on here!"

The questions of the confused mercenaries and cops about what was going on were quickly answered, as a huge black figure jumped from out of a dark corner in the ceiling, and landed in between the cops and mercenaries.

A shocked elderly woman keeping herself calm and unmoving on the ground looked up at the person who landed before her, taking notice of the muscular figure, and the black viscous material surrounding his whole body.

But the most interesting, and frightening detail noticed by everyone, was the face with menacing white eyes and mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

"What the hell is that?!" A mercenary shouted out as he aimed his machine gun at the hulking figure, until a long tendril shot out from its torso and snatched the gun away before tossing it aside.

Venom let out a beastly roar before lunging at the mercenary, rolling across the floor and then tossing the thug into a wall.

The other thugs opened fire on the monstrous vigilante, but nothing seemed to faze him as he smacked a few aside and slammed a few to the ground while the others quickly recovered.

A couple of shots from behind prompted Venom to turn around to see one of the mercenaries on the second floor aiming his gun at him with a panicked expression as the symbiotic anti-hero looked up at him with a snarl before jumping towards the thug and then throwing him down the lobby floor.

Venom jumped from the ceiling and onto another panicking thug before grabbing him by the leg and slamming him to the ground several times, even swinging him into a few other thugs, knocking them out before throwing him into a corner across the bank.

Venom then dodged an over the head attack from another attacker with a stun baton and quickly grabbed the wrist holding the weapon and shoved it into the man's chest, making him scream as the volts of electricity coursed through him before Venom tossed him out into the open.

The two remaining mercenaries charged at Venom from both sides, when two tendrils shot out from Venom's sides and grabbed two thugs by the ankles before hoisting them in the air, leaving a cue for Venom to jump into the air and spin them around before tossing one into the wall and the other out the window and into the streets.

The thug attempted to regain his footing when a strong hand pinned him back down before hoisting him up, and soon he was met with the grinning face of Venom.

 ** _"Nothing more refreshing than a hired gun in the morning."_** Venom rumbled before his tongue slid out and licked the side of the thug's face, leaving a trail of drool in its wake.

"Venom!"

The symbiotic anti-hero slid his tongue back into his mouth before looking up at the last person he wanted to see.

 ** _"Great. You."_** Venom snarled as the Man of Steel descended from the sky with a glare.

"Put him down." Superman ordered.

Venom looked at him for a moment and then back to the thug before giving his answer.

 ** _"As you wish."_**

Without warning, he slammed the thug's face to the ground, and an audible crack was heard around the area for all to hear. With a hiss, Venom turned to Superman.

 ** _"Now, what do you want?"_** he growled. **_"We have places to be."_**

"You're taking things too far. You have no right to kill someone just because they don't follow the law." Superman stated with a hint of anger.

 ** _"Is this how you thank us for stopping a crime before you? Besides, nobody died today... yet."_** Venom asked as Superman glared even further. **_"One second please."_**

Venom knelt to the ground and picked up one of the weapons the thugs have dropped.

Examining it closely, he saw the Lex Corp label on the side of the gun.

Frowning to himself, he tossed the gun to one of the cops. **_"You should probably question Lex Luthor about why these thugs have his tech."_** Venom stated before popping his neck and started walking off when Superman stopped him.

"Hold it." the Man of Steel said in an authoritative tone. "You have a lot to answer for. The people you've killed. You know you'll have to be taken in."

Venom merely snorted. **_"First off, we can do whatever we want when there aren't enough good people to stop the evil ones. Second, what the hell are you going to do about it? In case you forgot we're both doing this outside of the law. Third, there's no warrant for our arrest so what are you going to do? Beat up and then lock us in one of your personal prisons? That's called assault, kidnapping, and holding someone against their will, blue boy. Fourth, maybe make sure the people we're helping_ actually _want you to stop us before you do anything, otherwise not only are you breaking the law but you're not even doing it with public support."_**

"You know that's not how we do things around here." Superman argued. "I'm going to ask you to stand down and surrender yourself!"

Before the argument could go on, Sean stepped between the two with his arms out.

"Gentlemen, I assure you we can discuss like civilized people." he said, prompting the Man of Steel to direct his glare at him.

"Stay out of this, Kruger. This doesn't concern you." he said.

 ** _"Who are you to judge someone that helped make the world a better place?"_** Venom snapped. **_"Don't look at him like he's Lex Luthor 2.0 or some other shady businessman, we don't want you making the same mistake again, do we?"_**

It didn't help that even the cops around them didn't want Superman to try anything either. Superman grit his teeth as Sean smirked at him before he started to leave with Venom until a crowd of reporters start to surround the both of them. Superman crossed his arms, knowing that this wasn't going to end well.

"Venom! How can you justify killing criminals that you fight?"

"Venom, are you working with Superman and the other heroes?"

"Is it true you bite your victims' heads off?"

"Do you plan to kill the criminals of Metropolis like you've been doing in San Francisco?"

A young woman with black hair, a purple shirt and white skirt was pushing her way through the crowd to be the last to ask her question, pulling out her tape recorder as a young man holding a camera followed behind.

"Excuse me. Lois Lane; Daily Planet. I have a question about your dark scary friend." Lois said.

"Go ahead." Sean said.

"Well, it's about the string of killings in San Francisco and the more recent ones in Gotham. Venom, what did the people that you killed do to warrant their deaths?"

Venom paused and turned towards her and Lois froze slightly feeling his jagged eyes boring into her soul.

 ** _"You're a smart and resourceful woman, Miss Lane, we're sure you could find out."_** Venom stated as he turned and kept walking away before moving as Superman tried to put his hand on his shoulder.

"You're not going anywhere." Superman said firmly. "You still have to answer for the murders you've caused."

 ** _"On whose authority?"_** Venom snapped. **_"We got off on a rocky start with the police of San Francisco when we made ourselves known, but it was no sooner when they realized we were in the right. They needed us to put a stop to the crime infesting that city, just like the Bat in Gotham, unlike you and your old school morals."_** he growled out the last of his sentence, making Superman grit his teeth while the reporters backed up but kept different cameras rolling while others were taking notes.

 ** _"If you'll excuse us, we're going to take a stroll. In the meantime, feel free to throw these men away."_** Venom said as he turned away from the Man of Steel. **_"Those scumbags are lucky this arguing made us lose our appetite."_**

With an inhuman leap, Venom charged off into the city, as the whole block watched him leave.

"Well, guess things are gonna be different around here." one of the cops spoke up, making Superman look at him with an incredulous expression.

"He committed murder in Gotham, maimed a few robbers, and you just let him get away with it?!" he said sternly.

Once Sean had a moment away from the reporters, he was in earshot to hear what Superman had said about his best friend.

"What the hell do you know? Venom already told you why he does what he does! I'm thankful he saved one of my company's banks from these trigger happy nutjobs." Sean said. "On a different note, _you_ should be thankful he stopped these thugs before you."

Superman just looked at him; he knew that Venom now had a supporter, and it was a young CEO who no doubt might make things worse for the other heroes.

"If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting in an hour." Sean said as he turned to leave. "Have a nice day."

Superman could only watch as Sean walked back to the Global Tech building. This man obviously wanted to rile him up as much as Venom does. Not to mention he just _befriended_ the monster. This could not go on. He needed to tell the rest of the Justice League.

From the top of another building, Venom watched with a grin as Superman flew off in another direction as soon as Sean left.

 _'Hell of a way to make a first impression.'_ Eddie spoke subconsciously from within the symbiote.

 ** _"At least we know how stubborn the Man of Steel can get."_** Venom sneered. **_"Can't wait to push more of his buttons if he crosses us again."_**

 _'So, what now?'_

 ** _"Meet with Sean, form a team, leave the League in the dust."_** Venom listed off. **_"No big deal."_**

 _'You think they'll back off?'_

 ** _"For now."_** Venom replied. **_"In fact, let them come after us. They're as stubborn as they come."_**

With another leap, he landed on top of the Global Tech building while overlooking the city.

 ** _"Besides… the world has enough superheroes. Let's see what kind of heroism is deemed fit for it."_**

* * *

 **That last part… I couldn't resist.**

 **Next time, Sean decides to give Eddie a bigger place to settle in, where the reporter/vigilante will meet an old flame. Meanwhile, Batman and the rest of the Justice League will begin their search for Venom in an attempt to capture him. How will this fare in the future? Stay tuned, and leave a review!**


	3. Settling In

"Lemme get this straight. You want to form your own group to do what the Justice League won't, and you want me to speak with Talbot to have you guys approved?"

"Yep. That's exactly what we want."

Shortly after the fiasco at the bank, and the subsequent public bashing of Superman, Eddie and Venom caught up with Sean after one of his meetings. Then they hung out like any normal friend would do, like eating and drinking at one of the company's pubs (of course, Eddie requested for a chocolate sundae on Venom's behest), chatting about their personal lives before going to Sean's office to consult about forming a team of anti-heroes and a few villains with overall good intentions to finally put a stop to the senseless bloodshed the Justice League are unwilling to end.

 ** _"You think they'll accept the invites?"_** the tendril with Venom's face asked.

"From what Talbot told me, the last time these guys were hired by the government as a 'Suicide Squad', it was because they were told to." Sean explained. "I doubt that's ever happening again now that Waller and her guys at Cadmus grew a conscience."

 ** _"Good. I don't want to be experimented on again."_** Venom muttered.

"You think that telling them that this team's bomb-free, 'no killing innocents' policy will win them over?" Eddie asked.

"Unlike Arkham or Cadmus, this is a special rehabilitation program that'll make sure these guys won't try anything to harm the public again." Sean said. "While my military team delivers the files on the metahumans that will be joining this new team of yours, I'll try to contact Talbot to get his okay."

Eddie smiled as he got up from his seat. "Well, Sean, it's been nice catching up with you. I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

He was about to walk out the room when he heard Sean calling him.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"We're going back to Gotham." Eddie said. "We got a rent to pay and more heads to bite off."

 ** _"And some tater tots to heat up."_** Venom added.

"Actually, I got a place for you, where you _don't_ have a rent to pay!" Sean said. "And it's much closer to both here and Gotham."

Eddie and Venom looked at each other and then at Sean before they came to their agreement.

"Alright. As long as it keeps us under the radar, there's not a thing to worry about." Eddie said.

* * *

 **The Watchtower, Above Earth**

The room was silent as the members of the Justice League stood at the table in the center.

Nine of the founding members, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and the Martian Manhunter, all settled down for the matter at hand.

"So, Bats, what'd you call us here for?" the Flash asked.

"We have a new vigilante with a 'take no prisoners' attitude on our hands, neither human nor metahuman." Batman said as he turned on the screen on the large computer in the room, showing images of Venom from back in San Francisco a year before.

"The hell…" John Stewart muttered, as this is also his first time seeing this creature as well.

"He goes by Venom." Batman said. "He's made himself known in Gotham a week ago by killing two men attempting to assault a woman at night. Since then, there has been a large pile of bodies growing in Gotham, all of them known criminals, while normal criminals are left hospitalized."

"Do you have any leads on this Venom?" Hawkgirl asked.

"Just a few hours ago, as Superman told me, he stopped Intergang from robbing one of Global Tech's main banks in Metropolis. One of the hostages was able to record the incident." Batman said as he pressed on a few keys before the computer played a video of Venom's assault on Intergang at Global Tech's bank.

The others noted the brutality Venom displayed while fighting Intergang, such as tossing them around, thrashing them, and slamming them into different sections of the bank.

"That's going to take more than a few months for those people to recover." Hawkgirl said.

"What we wanna know is… where did he come from, and what does he want?" Green Lantern spoke up.

"Batman, do you have the footage of the incident in San Francisco?" Superman asked.

Batman acknowledged his words with a nod and pressed on a few more keys before the other video started to play, which was also in San Francisco a year before.

Where Venom made himself first known. The video was not long - only a few minutes.

What they saw was a man sprawled on the streets next to his crashed motorcycle with the car that hit him parked in front of him and a bald man kneeling next to him. The only problem was that they couldn't see the injured man's face, which was something they would get into later.

Suddenly, a large black hand sprouting from the injured man's arm grabbed the bald man by the neck, as a black mass soon began to spread across the injured man's body, and the sounds of bones rearranging could faintly be heard as the man stood up, and the whole room watched as he grew taller and muscular until the head was the last to form a familiar grinning face.

Venom.

 ** _"Eyes. Lungs. Pancreas."_** he rumbled. **_"So many snacks, so little time."_**

The majority of the League felt their skin crawling.

What freaked them out more was the long tongue that slithered out of his open mouth and left a trail of saliva across the man's face, which was soon interrupted by another man firing his shotgun at the creature.

What came next nearly made their hearts stop.

Venom threw the bald man aside and engulfed the other man's head into his wide maw, sinking his teeth into his neck before tearing his head off and sending the body flying into the streets.

That nearly caused the Flash to throw out his lunch.

The video ended as the police fired their weapons at the creature, who jumped from on top of a car and onto a building before disappearing to another block.

Once the footage was over, Batman turned to the League, "The men were identified as top security members for the Life Foundation." the screen brought up an article about the company. "A year ago, the company had stumbled upon one of their shuttles that crashed in East Malaysia containing four parasitic lifeforms called symbiotes. The crash was caused by one of the creatures that escaped containment and kept itself hidden for a good six months, while the other three were brought back to the Life Foundation for study."

"So, Venom's an alien?" Green Arrow asked. "That's typical."

"The Life Foundation has long since been revealed to be running illegal experimentations by snatching several homeless people off the streets to see how the creatures interact with their hosts." Batman explained further. "The CEO, Carlton Drake, believed that the symbiotes were the key to humanity's survival and the next step to our evolution. Two of them died while bonding to their own host due to their incompatibility, while the third, Venom, escaped and latched onto a host of its own."

"How were you able to get all this?" J'onn J'onzz asked.

"I've hacked into the company's security systems and had been monitoring its activities," Batman replied. "But with the amount of security defending the company, there was no way neither of us could interfere."

"Anything else on these symbiotes?" Superman asked.

"I was able to capture security footage of the fourth symbiote that killed half of the staff in the control room and was able to send it here for us." Batman said.

Typing on a few more keys, the screen showed footage of the Life Foundation's control room for the shuttle.

Standing in the middle of the room was Carlton Drake, who suddenly turned and shot a grey tendril out to stop a man's hand, and a similar mass began to form all over his body before it morphed into a creature similar to Venom, except it was grey in color and had red veins, was much larger, had sharper claws, and a more lizard-like head with similar white, jagged eyes that stared down the shaking man.

What came next shocked them all.

A long blade formed on the creature's right hand before impaling the man into the wall, and then turning to face the fleeing humans. The creature's hands formed into large scythe-like blades before it swung them across the room, and the blades extended nearly through half of the room as it sliced up a few staff members running for the door and a few of the petrified employees, while the others were able to flee the room alive.

The footage ended as the creature retracted its weapons before running and leaping out the window.

"Drake had bonded with this kind of symbiote to aid it in bringing back more of its kind with the new shuttle. Venom was able to put a wrench in their plans and destroyed both them and the shuttle, and he has been traveling from city to city with his host ever since." Batman said, turning the screen off before showing numerous videos of Venom being a "hero". He even did the classic "saving the cat in a tree" schtick, making Wonder Woman smile as she saw the anti-hero pat a child on the head after giving the cat back before jumping onto a building and climbing up and away.

"So he's hijacking some poor sap's body and making him bite some heads off against his will?" Black Canary deduced.

"He's been referring to himself as 'we'. That must mean that the host must've bonded with the lifeform _willingly_." Superman stated.

The statement drew looks of shock, horror and outrage from the League members.

"How can somebody join some body-snatching parasite _willingly_?!" the Flash gawked. "They are _not_ supposed to enjoy this!"

"The media made it clear that he's hunting those he deems irredeemable." said Superman. "We're going to have to bring him in."

"So you're proposing we send him to Arkham?" asked Green Lantern.

"No, not Arkham." replied Batman. "We'll have to put him somewhere where a League member will have an eye on him at all times once we separate both the parasite and the host. But in order to do that, we'll have to wait until he strikes."

He wouldn't tell anyone, but he was a bit unnerved of the creature.

Possessing strength that nearly surpasses Bane's and a voracious appetite for human flesh similar to Killer Croc's was what worried him.

"Does he happen to have any weaknesses?" J'onn asked.

"That's the issue, we don't know," Batman replied. "The Life Foundation had most of their documents on the symbiotes on lock and key."

"Well, that complicates things." Green Arrow commented.

"We can discuss how to contain him once we actually have him." said Hawkgirl, standing up. "Right now we should be asking what he's going to do next."

"He'll most likely be laying low, waiting for the next super villain to attack. Once he does we'll have to get there before he kills them and apprehend him." replied Batman.

"Do you think we're just overlooking the facts?" Wonder Woman asked, having oddly been quiet during the meeting. "People are calling him a hero for going this mile to protect them."

Of course, being an Amazon, she found Venom's methods to be agreeable, but with the League keeping her brutality in check, she couldn't be allowed to cross that line again.

"That doesn't change the fact that he's a killer." Black Canary retorted. "How long until he focuses on random civilians?"

"Do you think it's a bit harsh?" Green Arrow spoke up. "You all saw that video, right? I know Barry said nobody's supposed to be enjoying having an alien attached to them, but he just saved one of the banks of a multi-billion dollar corporation _and_ was able to get the kid's respect."

"Are you defending someone who defended a killer?" Superman interrupted him with a glare.

"I'm just saying! The kid's done a lot for the world, and besides, we can't do anything against him now that he's got an alien for a friend." he paused as he stared at the Man of Steel. "No offense."

"Who's the guy who posted the article?" Black Canary asked.

Batman was able to zoom into the screen to see the name of the publisher of the article.

"Eddie Brock."

"Of _The Eddie Brock Report_?" Wonder Woman asked. She had garnered a deep respect for the reporter for his dedication to expose real life issues that the world must focus on.

"He was able to leak the evidence of the Life Foundation's crimes through unknown means." Batman explained. "He might be able to lead us to Venom."

"Why would he want to do that?" Wonder Woman asked. "This man has done a lot for the world with his reports. You obviously haven't read his articles on the recent increase of the crime rates in Gotham and Metropolis that must be taken care of."

"Are you saying you want another Venom supporter to cause a pandemonium?" Green Lantern asked incredulously.

Wonder Woman was about to argue, but she paused, not wanting things to get even more heated. Even though she wasn't nearly against his methods, she'll probably try her best to convince this Venom to cease the bloodshed.

Superman sighed as he realized they weren't getting anywhere at the moment. "That concludes the meeting for now until we have a solid strategy. For now, just make sure you keep your eyes and ears open. If any of you find Eddie Brock, tell him that we need information on Venom. If you encounter Venom, call for backup immediately."

* * *

 **Outskirts of Metropolis**

It was nighttime as the cab arrived at a white house that had a striking resemblance to a mansion, almost out of city limits. Eddie got out of the cab and hands the driver the money before walking towards the house.

"Damn, that place is huge." Eddie whispered as he noted the structure of the house. "And we're not even rich yet."

 ** _'Better than living in a small confined space.'_** Venom muttered as Eddie stepped towards the front door.

The moment the door opened, he was met with a sight that nearly turned his face red.

"Oh, Jesus."

In front of him was a pale skinned, half-naked woman with black hair wearing only a pink bra and panties. She was checking around the house while he was looking at her bags.

"Um…" Eddie said.

"Oh. I didn't expect you to arrive early." the woman giggles and she played with her breasts to tease him. "What? You've never seen a beautiful woman naked before?"

Eddie continued to chuckle awkwardly at the display before him.

 ** _'Now I see why you and Sean got along so well.'_** Venom teased as the girl took out a form.

"Sean wants you to sign this to make it official."

"Alright, then." Eddie said.

He took the form out of the girl's hand and walk over to the table before signing his name on it. Once he finished, he hands it back to the woman as she walked out the door.

 ** _'Is she going to keep streaking down the road?'_** Venom asked.

Eddie's eyes widened as he ran outside to see the girl driving off in a red car. He scratches his head for a moment before shrugging and then entering.

The interior looked tidied without a speck of dust in sight, and there were stairs leading to a second floor of the mansion, and there were halls that led to a kitchen and the living room.

 ** _'You think Sean will send us some more naked girls to this place?'_** Venom asked as Eddie walked towards the living room. **_'Might as well be the best surprise for both of us!'_**

"Come on, you're going overboard." Eddie said as set his belongings down in the living room. "Life's full of surprises. You'll never know what'll hit you the next moment."

"Hi, Eddie."

Eddie let out a high-pitched yelp as he turned to face the speaker.

"Annie! It's you!" Eddie gasped.

The blonde attorney laughed in amusement as she sat on the couch. "Who were you expecting? Santa Claus, or Mrs. Claus for that matter?"

Eddie chuckled at her response. "So, uh… that chick back there… you didn't happen to, uh…"

"No, we just talked." Anne cut him off. "She told me how you and Sean got along when you were kids, and how he wanted to make the world a better place, and how many girls he's dated all at once. That was when she decided to go 'greet' you, right after she stripped in front of me."

 ** _'Okay, now we'd hit_ that _!'_** Venom hissed with excitement at the prospect.

"So, what's your gooey roommate been up to?" Anne asked.

Almost a week after the fight with Drake and Riot, she had told Eddie that she knew Venom had survived, but told them that it wouldn't change their relationship, and decided to let the symbiote butt in with them, much to Eddie's discomfort at the time.

 ** _"Nothing too special."_** Venom replied as he formed into the tendril from Eddie's shoulder. **_"Aside from meeting interesting new people… and eating them."_**

"Typical." Eddie chuckled as Venom retracted back into him.

They heard the sound of a ring to which Eddie grabs the remote to answer the call on the television. Then the image of Sean in his office appeared on the screen.

"Hey, how is the place? I know that you experienced one of my girls naked." Sean said.

"That was not what I've expected to see." Eddie said. "Aside from one of my exes being here first."

"Oh please. I didn't hear you complaining when I brought girls home naked." Sean said.

Eddie was looking through the refrigerator to get something to drink. He popped open a can of orange soda and he walks back to the television.

"That's because you brought home cougars." Eddie said as he took a sip.

"What? Did you complain when Eddie brought an alien with him?" Anne joked as Sean chuckled.

"I wouldn't complain if Eddie brought in alien girls." he joked.

 ** _'Yes! Please promise us we'll hit that too!'_** Venom begged eagerly, but Eddie ignored him as he focused his attention on the screen.

"Well, let me give you a tour of the place." Sean said.

The television starts to move, prompting Eddie and Anne to start following after it. Sean was showing his friends the layout of the place. He had shown them the indoor and outdoor pool, the hot tub, gym room, indoor basketball court, basement filled with a built-in bar, lots of bedrooms, garage, and the escape passages. Eddie was amazed to see that this place has everything that he needs.

"Everything is yours including the money in the vault." Sean told him.

"Okay, thanks for the tip." Eddie said as he left the room.

 ** _'Eddie?'_** Venom asked. **_'Did you just hear him?'_**

"Yeah, gyms, pools, huge stacks of money. I think we can handle this place." Eddie shrugged off as he went into one of the rooms to get settled in for the night.

Anne only stood outside with an amused smirk as she silently counted down Eddie's reaction.

3.

2.

1.

Eddie came back as fast as he could and came face to face in front of the television.

"SAY WHAT?!" Eddie yelled.

"Well, my company has been making some large amount of money from all the inventions and new tech. I knew that some of the banks couldn't hold all of my money, so I built four houses to store it." Sean said.

"So... basically, we're rich now, right?" Eddie asked.

"You could put it that way." Sean replied with a shrug.

Eddie looks at him for a moment, then he smirks.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to do that," Eddie said.

"Have to, no. Wanted to, yes. Don't make me beg." Sean said.

Eddie just chuckles to himself, knowing that he could never resist Sean's offers.

"Well, alright. If you wanted me to have it, then I'll take it." Eddie said.

The doors burst open in the background and two little girls, one with blonde hair in braids and another with raven hair in two pigtails burst in.

"Sean, are you done with work yet?" The blonde girl asked. Sean chuckled before ruffling her hair.

"Yeah, Sarah. I'm just about finished."

"Hi, Eddie!" the raven-haired girl greeted the reporter through the screen.

"Hey, Dawn." Eddie said kindly. "Nice to see you two again."

"Hi, girls!" Anne greeted.

"Hi, Anne!" the girls waved back at her.

"I like your hair today!" Sarah commented.

"Can you do it like mine soon?" Dawn asked, making Anne giggle.

 ** _'If I had a heart, these two would already melt it.'_** Venom commented towards the girls, who obviously didn't hear him as he was in Eddie's head.

"Go to the car. I'll be there in a minute." Sean said.

"Okay." The twins said, running out of the frame.

"Cuter than ever, right?" Sean asked, making Eddie and Anne chuckle. "Before I go… thanks, Eddie, for helping me out." Sean said.

"Thanks, and make sure you check my articles tonight." Eddie said as a beep on Sean's phone was heard.

"One sec." Sean said before pressing on a button. "Yeah, Vic?"

"Sir, Talbot's here for your… program." Vic said, pausing for a moment.

"Copy that." Sean said before ending the connection with Vic and turning back to Eddie. "Okay, I have to go. I'll call you back once Talbot and I finish talking about your little program. See ya, guys."

The television turned off as it moved back over to the wall.

"So… you're thinking about forming your own League?" Anne asked.

"Might take some time, but we'll find some recruits soon." Eddie said as Venom formed into the tendril out of his shoulder.

 ** _"Maybe we can recruit some girls Eddie keeps fantasizing about!"_** Venom insisted gleefully. **_"We can start with that Poison Ivy girl from Gotham. Or that ice chick, Killer Frost. Or even Huntress!"_**

Anne stood there with her mouth open.

"How the hell do you come up with these?!" Eddie scolded.

" ** _I'm in your head, remember?"_** Venom laughed as Anne regained her composure.

"…You know, now that you mention it, with all those hormones and not enough power, you might need other women to satisfy you." Anne spoke up, shocking both Eddie and the symbiote.

"Say what/ ** _Say what?_** " Both host and symbiote asked at once.

"You mean… you want me to start sleeping with other women?" Eddie asked.

She sighed as she walked towards him. "I know you have a big heart. I love you, Eddie, always. I'll never leave you again, but that heart of yours is too big for one woman to handle, I enjoy everything about our relationship, even with Venom and his tentacles around me."

They both looked down to see Venom had a tendril wrapped possessively around her waist and keeping her close. "I'm onboard with the idea of you sleeping with other women, maybe involve me, as long as you remember to come back to me. Maybe you can end up in a threesome with me and Poison Ivy. Knowing Venom, you two could make a good match."

The thought of that nearly made Eddie's jaw drop to the floor and Anne grinned in amusement. "Does the thought and image of a sexy blonde and an incredibly sexy, redheaded, plant-controlling woman, naked, sweaty, and on either side of you after a hot night turn you both on?"

 ** _"It would if I had any kind of anatomy."_** Venom muttered.

"W-Well, you and Poison Ivy are… I mean, You… Well…" Eddie stuttered, but Anne silenced him with a kiss of reassurance.

"Don't worry, Eddie. You'll get that thought and dream if you land Ivy or any other super-powered chick as a girlfriend." she said with a smirk before closing the gap between them. "Do remember, I'm the chick of this arrangement. Do not leave me out of anything as well as the chick you are sleeping with… Or I'll yank off what makes you twitch and Venom won't be helping you." she threatened with mirth on her eyes but there was seriousness in her tone that made him nod with a light gulp.

 ** _"…Scary."_** Venom said before retreating back into his host's body.

"Deal."

"By the way, nice job bashing the Boy Scout." Anne complimented.

"Hey, somebody's gotta take out his dirty laundry." Eddie commented before he headed towards one of the rooms to get some rest, but stopped to see Anne still standing behind him.

"Did, uh… did Sean give you your room yet?"

"Yeah. And you're in it." Anne said playfully as Eddie turned beet red at that.

 ** _'Life's always full of surprises, isn't it?'_** Venom teased, using his host's words on him.

Eddie just ignored him as both he and Anne entered the room before they plopped onto the bed.

"Night, Annie."

"Night, Eddie."

"Goodnight, Venom." they said in unison.

 ** _'Goodnight.'_**

Eddie turned off the light before shifting closer to Anne as they both drifted off into dreamland.

 ** _'If you see me in one of your wet dreams, don't blame me.'_**

"Aw, shut up!"

* * *

 **Next time: The First of Many**

 **What do you know? Eddie's rich, he and Anne are back together again, and it seems that Venom has quickly developed a soft spot for Sean's twin sisters, while he starts teasing Eddie's love life, which will soon grow into something big.**

 **The next chapter will have Eddie meeting Wonder Woman, and then seeing her again as Venom, and will find a way to convince her to join his side of justice and teach her to no longer hold back, and will later bump into another ex (you'll have to wait to find out, though), while the Justice League goes on the move. Keep your fingers crossed, readers, because soon, the formation of the new team is at hand. Peace out!**


	4. The First of Many

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Venom or Justice League. Sean and Global Tech belong to Dragonlord0.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Anne woke up, yawning and stretching on the bed, instantly noticing that Eddie wasn't with her.

She got out of the bed and went into the kitchen, expecting to see Eddie there, cooking breakfast, even giving Venom a sample. But the kitchen was completely empty.

Anne noticed something on the table and picked it up. It was a note.

 _Went to the city to get some morning meals. Venom made me._

 _-Eddie_

"Typical." Anne chuckled to herself.

She broke out of her musings when a knock came at the door.

 _'Back so soon?'_ she thought before walking towards the door. "Coming!"

As soon as she reached the door, she opened it up to see a familiar face.

"Oh, my God… It's you!"

* * *

"Did we really have to leave her all alone? Again?" Eddie asked quietly to his other as he walked down the streets of Metropolis, avoiding the gaze of passersby.

Eddie was now wearing his grey hoodie, blue jeans and white sneakers.

 ** _'I was hungry.'_** Venom said. **_'Besides, we should stay alert for any crime at this time of day.'_**

Eddie then looked around as people were walking to get where they needed to as well as cars going down the street.

"Better than moping around in Gotham." Eddie muttered. "You never know what'll hit you the moment you turn your back."

As Eddie continues to think, he is unaware of his surroundings, as evident as he bumps into a woman, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Oh, Jesus!" Eddie gasped. "I'm sorry, miss!"

 ** _'You were saying?'_** Venom asked, and Eddie could tell that the symbiote was smirking right about now.

He sees in front of him a raven-haired woman dressed in a pair of black pants, a brown blouse and black-heeled boots.

As the woman scratches her head, Eddie offers his hand to her, "Need a hand?"

She smiled, "Yes, thanks." she takes Eddie's hand as she gets up.

"Sorry… about bumping into you." Eddie apologizes.

The woman shakes her head, "No, it's my fault. I got too caught up with something on my mind that I wasn't paying any attention."

"Guess we have something in common: not paying attention to anything." Eddie joked, which made the two of them chuckle for a bit before shaking hands. "Eddie Brock."

"Diana Prince." the woman greeted. "I love your show by the way. Even when it went off the air, people still remember the good you've done for them."

 ** _'I like this woman.'_** Venom said. **_'Try asking her out or something.'_**

"So, are you doing another story?" Diana asked.

"Yeah, and it's on finding the best diner this city has to offer." Eddie joked as he scratched his head in embarrassment. "I'm… sort of new here."

 ** _'Way to make a first impression, Einstein.'_** Venom quipped.

The woman smiled, "I can show you where the nearest diner is at here. Just follow me."

"Thanks, Diana. You have no idea how much my stomach has been bugging me lately, almost like it's getting really bossy with me." he said.

 ** _'I might as well eat your liver if we keep waiting.'_** Venom hissed as Eddie and Diana started walking.

* * *

The two arrived at the diner a few minutes later, and are now sitting at their table eating their food; Eddie had ordered a breakfast sandwich, tater tots and a chocolate milkshake, while Diana ordered an omelette with orange juice.

"Tell me, Eddie. Do you live around here?" Diana asked.

"In a way, almost outside of city limits." Eddie replied as he took a bite out of his sandwich. "A friend of mine gave me my own place now. Tons of money, more rooms, better conditions, all that."

"Really?" Diana asked with surprise. "How'd you manage that?"

"Sean. Sean Kruger." Eddie answered. "Been friends with him since we were younger, but I was a bit old enough to watch over him. Kinda like brothers, really."

" _The_ Sean Ashburn Kruger?" Diana asked incredulously. "The CEO of Global Tech? _He's_ your friend?"

"Yeah." Eddie said without a hint of surprise. "I gotta admit, he's done a lot more for this planet than we have."

Diana smiled, but decided to focus on the main subject at hand.

"So, why are you here, Eddie? What brings you to Metropolis?" Diana asked the reporter.

"I… uh… kind of wanted to see what it's like here, you know. Probably do a piece on that Venom guy who's been around here." Eddie explained to her, which is not far from the truth.

Diana raised an eyebrow, "A story on Venom, huh? How do you suppose you do that?"

Eddie smirked, "I have my ways."

Diana giggled at his response, which in turn made him smirk.

 ** _'Look at her. She's into us already.'_** Venom said.

Diana turns her head away from Eddie as they continue to eat, "Venom… ever since the past week, people have been talking non-stop about him."

"In what sense?" Eddie asked her.

"He's been helping out everyone in the city: stopping crimes, saving people. All that." She explained. "People are calling him a hero for doing the unthinkable."

 ** _'Would you look at that?'_** Venom commented. **_'I've got my fans and you have yours. Can this day get any better?'_**

"Isn't that a good thing?" Eddie asked Diana as he took a sip of his milkshake.

"It is, but… it's the way he does things that I find troubling." She answered. "And I thought _you_ have some answers to that."

Eddie nearly spat his drink upon hearing that.

'Shit/ ** _Shit._** ' both Eddie and Venom cursed mentally.

 ** _'She's onto us.'_** Venom panicked. **_'Do something!'_**

After a few moments of recollecting himself, much to Diana's amusement, Eddie regained his composure. "Alright. What do you wanna know?"

"What I want to know is why he kills so brutally. What caused him to do this." Diana said making him sigh.

"That's simple: he gets results that people want. With the Justice League, animals like the Joker never stay locked up for long. Only in a matter of a few weeks or months, they're out again killing innocent people. The system's screwed up, so he takes matters into his own hands." Eddie said. "Of course, the Big Leagues are just too focused on their moral compass ramblings to see the big reality."

"Is that why Sean stood up for him when he stopped one of his banks from being robbed?" Diana asked curiously.

"It's not just that, but Sean thinks that the League's not trying hard enough to keep the people safe. Stopping invasions? Yes. Stopping scum like Joker from walking free? No way." Eddie said, making Diana frown slightly.

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"What I'm saying is… if people like the Joker were killed and people stop dying every day because of him, is it not worth it?" Eddie asked.

Diana's eyes shifted in different directions, as if trying to think of an answer.

 ** _'Looks like we win!'_** Venom declared.

"But what if he ends up going too far?" Diana asked.

 ** _'Great.'_** the symbiote hissed. **_'Any ideas?'_**

"He can tell the difference between a thief that steals to feed his family and a murderer that kills for the hell of it." Eddie clarified. "Trust me. There's nothing to worry about. Still, what makes you think otherwise?"

"Well…" Diana sighed. "My… friends, told me that if these villains were killed, so would many innocent people after that."

"That's a bunch of bull." Eddie said firmly. "I told you, Venom knows which kind criminal is redeemable and which is not. Don't let anyone cloud your judgement like that."

Diana smiled before the two fell into some comfortable and some awkward silence.

"Well, it's a pleasure meeting you." Eddie said, getting up out of his seat. "I need to go to work."

"Then don't let me keep you." Diana said in an understanding tone.

"Have a nice day, Diana." Eddie said pleasantly.

"Hope to see you around." Diana said.

"Don't worry, _we'll_ be seeing each other soon." Eddie said as he exited the diner, looking at Diana through the window before going back to walking.

 ** _'Curious.'_** Venom spoke.

"Why's that?" Eddie asked quietly.

 ** _'Almost nobody would ask you about us.'_** the symbiote said suspiciously. _**'You don't think there are spies after us, do you?'**_

"C'mon. Diana's confused, that's all." Eddie reassured. "She'll probably get it afterwards."

Back at the diner, Diana got up from the table and walked out with a troubled look on her face, recalling Eddie's words about Venom being in the right.

"Diana, come in." a voice came from her communicator. _"Superman calling, come in."_

"Reporting." Diana said quietly.

 _"Any word on Venom yet?"_

"No, but I just met Eddie Brock. Turns out he's a friend of the CEO of Global Tech." Diana said. "He made a few points about our friend."

 _"What points?"_

Diana sighed, knowing this would not fit well with the other heroes.

"That people like the Joker shouldn't deserve a second chance after murdering more innocents." she answered. "We can't always rely on a broken system to deal with these monsters, like Sean keeps saying."

There was a slight pause between the two, and she could feel the Man of Steel glaring at the suggestion.

 _"Don't let those two cloud your judgement."_ Superman said firmly, and Diana flinched, as these were the same words Eddie told her. _"We must preserve life."_

"Fine, maybe we can try a peaceful approach." Diana said. "You know, give him a spot in the League to keep his bloodlust in check."

 _"I doubt it."_ Superman said. _"He joins, we make sure his appetite is in control. He refuses, we take him another day."_

"Understood." Diana said dejectedly before cutting the connection.

She still had her doubts, but she put those thoughts in the back of her head and kept walking in silence.

* * *

Eddie kept walking down the streets, avoiding the attention of passersby as he searched for any criminal activity that may be in progress.

"You've been really quiet, buddy." Eddie said to his other.

 ** _'It's about Diana.'_** Venom said with concern. **_'The look she was giving us, the questions she asked… you wouldn't think she's-'_**

A loud explosion caught their attention and they saw Superman fighting what looked like a large grey muscular humanoid robot that was probably around his size or a bit taller with a head that resembled a skull with green eyes and wore black pants and boots. His arms looked just like a person's aside from the clawed hands. His chest was open and he saw a large green rock that made Superman groan in pain from the light that it was giving off.

"It's Metallo!" one of the citizens cried, recognizing the robot, people began to run away in fear of what might happen next, as Metallo approached the downed Superman.

"Well, Superman, looks like today's the day you finally die." the robot spoke, having a British accent.

Eddie was about to leave and just let the fight play out on its own, but before he could he heard Superman scream and looked over his shoulder and saw the Man of Steel hit with a beam of Kryptonite that came out of Metallo's chest.

Then he came to his ultimatum. "We gotta help him."

 ** _'Why should we?'_** Venom sneered. **_'He tried to jail us!'_**

"We may not be on good terms, but we can't let him die!" Eddie argued.

 ** _'Well, how about we let Wonder Hottie take things from here?'_** Venom asked.

Confused at what he meant, Eddie looked up and saw Wonder Woman flying into battle with her sword and shield at the ready.

When she got close, Metallo gave a right hook to knock her into a wall. That was the moment something inside Eddie made him snap.

"Having second thoughts now?" Eddie asked his other.

 ** _'You know it.'_** Venom said in defeat.

Wonder Woman burst through the rumble and went for Metallo once again, but he shot a beam of the Kryptonite at her, which burned her skin. She screamed in pain as she is sent flying backwards. Before she was about to crash into another building, something grabbed her. She was placed gently on the ground and she opens her eyes a little bit, and her eyes widened at her savior.

 ** _"A lady like you shouldn't be handling things like this."_** Venom said with a grin. **_"We'll take care of this."_**

Metallo hit Superman with another beam of the Kryptonite, making the Man of Steel scream in pain as the android stood over him victoriously.

 ** _"Hey, tin can!"_**

Superman and Metallo turned to the voice and saw Venom holding a car over his head. He threw the car at Metallo and before he could react the car slammed into him, sending him into a wall as Superman got up.

"What are you doing?" he questioned weakly, still suffering from the effects of Kryptonite.

 ** _"Look, we don't like you, and you don't like us, but only we can do the close fighting, so you stay back."_** Venom said.

As long as that Kryptonite was out, Superman had to keep his distance or else Metallo could beat him easily.

Superman looked like he wanted to protest, but knew that he was right and reluctantly nodded to the symbiotic anti-hero.

Metallo threw the car to the side and glared at Venom who grinned at him.

"Well, you must be Venom." Metallo said. "What are you doing in Metropolis?"

 ** _"Touring the place mostly. Looking for new marks besides the scum of Gotham."_** Venom replied, glaring at Metallo.

Metallo charged at them and Superman rushed forward to meet him. Superman managed to punch him in the chest and then hit his chin, but he then stumbled back, no doubt being affected from the Kryptonite.

Before he could attack him again, Venom got in his way and punched him, sending him back and then kicked him away.

Metallo changed one of his arms into a large hammer and the other into a large saw blade and then charged at the two.

Unlike before Venom charged forward this time and ducked as the android swung his saw blade arm as Superman threw another car at him, but Metallo hit it aside with his hammer, and was then punched by Venom. Venom hit him again, but Metallo retaliated by hitting kicking him away.

Venom landed on the ground and got off and saw a parking meter. He grabbed the pole it was attached to and ripped it out of the ground. Metallo slammed Superman with his hammer arm, sending him down onto the ground and then hit him with gain, making a small crater.

Metallo then proceeded to pound Superman's face in with it, making the crater a little bigger with every hit. He heard someone running toward him from behind and when he turned around to face him, Venom swung the parking meter like a bat and hit Metallo's head, making him stumble back dislodging his jaw for a moment, before it quickly fixed itself.

Venom kept swinging the parking meter at the robotic android as he dodged the androids hammer and his saw blade, until the upper part of it broke off. That didn't stop Venom however as he dodged the hammer and then charged forward and rammed what was left of the parking meter into what would be its stomach. Normally, Metallo wouldn't be affected due to his body, but with the power behind it, it managed to pierce through him.

"Did you actually think that would hurt me?" Metallo asked rhetorically, and began to absorb the metal stake into is body.

" **Crap** / _Crap_." both host and symbiote muttered, and if Metallo had a face he was sure that he would be smirking right now.

Metallo hit him with his arm, sending Venom stumbling back.

Metallo raised his saw arm and was about to gut Venom like a fish, but before he could, Superman used his heat vision to cut Metallo's saw arm off. Metallo screamed for a moment as his hammer arm returned to normal and held the stump for a moment.

Venom grabbed Metallo's other arm and then threw a hook with it, hitting Metallo's elbow with all of his strength.

Metallo's arm broke from the blow, severing it in half from the elbow. Venom threw the severed limb to the side and grabbed the android's legs before slamming him to the ground repeatedly until the limbs snapped off as well, leaving Metallo as nothing but a limbless shell struggling to get away.

 ** _"You know, we're considering tossing you into a crusher to finish the reference."_** Venom said as he grinned down at the limbless android when he used a tendril to whip a long piece of rebar towards him before raising it high in the air. **_"Guess we'll have to improvise."_**

He swung down.

 ** _CHUNK!_**

Metallo let out a roar of pain as the rebar pierced the Kryptonite in his chest while Venom shoved the pole further until it pierced the ground, and the green mineral finally shattered to bits.

Venom stood over the android, whose glowing green, menacing eyes began to fade.

 ** _"You're terminated."_** Venom muttered with a victorious grin.

Once the android powered off completely, Venom moved from the body as civilians began cheering and taking out their cellphones to record or take pictures before he turned to Superman once more.

 ** _"You're welcome."_** Venom said.

With a huge leap, he jumped on top of another building before dashing into another direction.

Superman was about to fly after him when Wonder Woman put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't. You need to recover from the Kryptonite." she insisted. "Let me take care of this."

Superman wanted to protest, but he nodded before flying off in the opposite direction, while Wonder Woman flew to where Venom ran off.

Venom jumped from building to building until he came to a stop on a rooftop in downtown Metropolis overlooking the various bridges and harbors of the city.

Then he felt a slight breeze and the sound of boots walking behind him.

 ** _"Can we help you?"_** Venom asked nonchalantly without looking back at the Amazon.

"I just want to talk to you." Wonder Woman said. "I thank you for saving me and Superman and shutting down Metallo, but killing isn't the way."

 ** _"Oh, having second thoughts now?"_** Venom asked as he turned to face her. **_"We saved your life and this is how you thank us?"_**

"The League just wants to keep you from making another mistake." Wonder Woman argued.

 ** _"You're one to talk. The League made so many mistakes by letting scum like the Joker or Luthor walk free for years."_** Venom said heatedly. **_"Besides, are you not an Amazon? A warrior of the ancient world tasked with making the choices no one else is willing to make?"_**

Diana was surprised at this statement, not really sure on how to respond to that.

 ** _"We both fight for the same thing, except we know just how cruel this world can be to the weak and defenseless."_**

"Why are you telling me this?" Diana asked finally.

 ** _"Because we saw in your eyes that you agree with our methods. You're a trained warrior and you know certain things need to be done for the greater good."_** Venom said. **_"We don't have to fight. We just want you to understand why we do what we must to protect the innocent our way. Most importantly, we don't want you to look weak fighting these monsters by holding back."_**

Diana looked conflicted. Firstly, she knew that there were monsters wearing human skin that needed to be slain, like the Joker. Secondly, without said monsters, there would be no more pain, no more suffering, and no more fighting on a global scale. Lastly, she was greatly worried about the Justice League's reaction, culminating in them trying to find Venom themselves, and she knew he was right, but…

"I… I need time to consider this." the Amazon concluded.

 ** _"That's all we ask. You won't regret this, Diana."_** Venom said.

The air grew silent as the Amazon stared at the symbiotic vigilante in shock.

"…Eddie?"

 _'Nice job blowing our cover, you big black blob!'_ Eddie scolded subconsciously.

 ** _"That's better than being called a parasite."_** Venom mused as he retracted into his host, who stared at the Amazon before him, who in turn stared back at him in shock.

"Eddie… _you're_ Venom?" Diana asked incredulously.

What added to her shock was the tendril that emerged from behind Eddie before forming the familiar grinning face.

 ** _"Correction:_ we _are Venom."_** the tendril said as he stared at the Amazon with a grin.

"Thought you'd figured it out by now." Eddie said. "I mean, me defending Venom, pointing out the flaws your League makes, you should've known the obvious."

 ** _"Should've sent the World's Greatest Detective."_** the symbiote grinned.

"How did you know who I was?" Diana asked.

"I'm a reporter, it's what I'm good at." Eddie responded. "Besides, why else would any of the Justice League turn to me to get to Venom?"

 ** _"Next time, tell them to ask properly."_** Venom said. **_"It's rude to send one of their own to find us."_**

"You're… you're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Diana asked worriedly.

"I may be a reporter, but I don't give away my friends' secrets." Eddie said firmly. "You can count on us."

Diana let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Eddie. You have no idea how much this means to me."

 ** _"Ahem."_**

"Oh, you too, Venom." Diana added.

"A friend's gotta do what a friend's gotta do." Eddie said with a warm smile as Venom retracted back into him, and before he could go anywhere, Diana stopped him by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"And Eddie…" she whispered, and the reporter turned to face her, only to meet with a set of lips crashing into his.

Once she pulled away, Eddie stood there with a dazed look on his face as Diana walked past him with a warm smile.

"I hope you're right." Diana finished before taking off, leaving the reporter in silence.

 ** _'Good thing we didn't tell her about starting a harem of strong girls.'_** Venom spoke, snapping Eddie out of his stupor.

"You're being such a pervert, V." Eddie said with a smirk.

 ** _'Says the guy who fantasizes about bedding them one day.'_**

"Aw, shut up!"

* * *

Nearly an hour later, Eddie finally arrived at the mansion. Pressing the button to the com, he was rewarded with Anne's voice.

"Who is it?" She drew the words out.

"It's Dr. Jekyll. May I come in?"

"You're late. You got lost didn't you?" He could practically see the triumphant glint in her eyes.

"Y… yeah." He said defeated.

"You're lucky there is someone I want you to meet, or I would leave you out there." The gate buzzed and unlocked, allowing Eddie entrance.

"Wonder who our visitor is today." Eddie said as he walked towards the front door.

 ** _'It better not be Dan.'_** Venom hissed. **_'I don't want to be called a parasite again.'_**

When he reached the front door, he slowly opened it. "I'm back."

"Eddie, come here." Anne called from the living room. Eddie slowly moved from the door, and froze halfway to the living room.

In the recliner, with legs crossed and sipping on a cup of tea was a woman wearing a top hat, tuxedo and fishnets.

"Are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna greet an old friend?" Eddie's jaw hung agape, just pointing a shaking finger at her, his expression shocked.

"Zatanna?" Eddie asked in disbelief.

"The one and only." the beautiful magician said with a bow.

 ** _'I don't know which is hotter, an Amazon or a magician dressed as a stripper!'_** Venom teased.

Eddie never mentioned it to anyone besides his friends, but he actually dated the magician one time when he met her during a performance at Pier 39 back in San Francisco four years ago.

They talked, drank, and somehow one thing led to another before boom! They ended up sleeping together and decided to have a relationship. Unfortunately, they couldn't stay together forever, as Zatanna would have another performance in another part of the world, and also aid the Justice League on a few missions, while Eddie decided to remain in San Francisco to continue with his show.

Until now.

"So… what brings you here, Zee?" Eddie asked, breaking the silence.

"My next performance is next month, so I decided to drop by to your place." Zatanna said. "I never expected for you to move to a mansion, of all places."

"Yeah." Eddie said with a chuckle. "Surprising when your friend's the CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation."

The magician giggled before setting her cup down and standing up.

"Introductions aside, I think it's time for me to change into something more comfortable." Zatanna said before closing her eyes.

"Egnahc fo sehtolc." Raising her arms out wide, a spiral of glitter spun around her body starting from her toes, and her clothes changed.

She now wore jeans that clung to her like a second skin and a black shirt that was so tight that it drew attention to her cleavage.

 ** _'Don't know why you two split up.'_** Venom said with mock disappointment before his voice turned into that of eagerness. **_'Hope she makes your night magical sooner!'_**

"You're… dazzling." Eddie breathed out, earning giggles from both women.

"I get that a lot." Zatanna said with her hands on her hips.

Then there was another call from Sean on the television, prompting Eddie to grab the remote to answer.

"Hey, Eddie! How's your stay?" Sean asked before turning his attention to Zatanna. "Oh, Zatanna! Wasn't expecting you here. Love your performances, by the way. My sisters are huge fans!"

"Thanks, Sean." Zatanna said with a pleased smile. "Tell them I said hi."

"I will, I promise." Sean said with a smile. "This place has everything you guys need, and there's a room with your name on it upstairs, Zee."

"Great! I'll just grab a bite from the kitchen and I'll get comfy." Zatanna said before leaving the living room, leaving the three friends alone.

"So, Eddie. How's your day going?" Sean asked his friend.

"Nothing too serious." Eddie shrugged. "We got into a fight with Metallo, saved Superman, _and_ managed to uncover Wonder Woman's secret identity."

"What?!" Anne and Sean gawked.

"Yeah. We were talking and eating when she asked why Venom does the things he does. Wasn't that hard." Eddie explained. "I think she's coming around."

 ** _"Not to mention we got a kiss from her as well!"_** Venom blurted out gleefully as he formed into the tendril from Eddie's tendril, as all of them stood there in shock at what the symbiote just said.

"The hell's wrong with you, you mutated Jell-O?!" Eddie hissed quietly, not wanting to attract Zatanna's attention from the kitchen.

"That's fine." Anne said with a shrug after a few moments of silence, shocking her ex even further. "You got an Amazon and a magician down in your little harem, who knows who might be next."

"Yeah, I don't wanna be the only one with a harem." Sean added with a smirk.

 ** _"Yes, Eddie. What are you complaining about?"_** Venom asked his host smugly, who crossed his arms in defeat.

"While you two discuss your relationship goals, I'm gonna go check up on Zatanna." Anne said as she left the room, leaving the two friends alone as Sean got serious.

"Eddie, I got the files on the recruits for our new team and Talbot's permission. I need you and your little friend to come over ASAP." Sean said. "I'll tell Anne while you're at it, and so we can keep Zee occupied."

"Going out again?" Eddie groaned. "And I was hoping for a nice evening with two of my exes."

 ** _"Look on the bright side, Eddie."_** Venom butted in. **_"We're rich, we already got_ three _ladies, and we have a team underway. What could possibly go wrong?"_**

* * *

 **Gotham City**

The streets and sidewalks were clogged with cars and people moving to get to their jobs. A single… purple… car moved out from the mass of cars on the freeway cutting through Gotham, taking its exit. Turning onto the next street, the car moved into an abandoned section of the warehouse district before turning into an old lot where the door to an old rundown warehouse slowly crept open allowing the car to pull in. The door slowly slid closed again, cutting the sunlight out again and enveloping the warehouse in darkness.

Florescent lighting suddenly began to flicker on throughout the warehouse, brightening the massive place. A single figure sat on the hood of the car reading a newspaper as four other men closed the doors of the car. The figure wore a bright purple suit under a darker purple trench coat. A wide brimmed hat sat on the head of the man as he read the headline of the newspaper he held in one hand and he slowly flipped a playing card with the image of a joker through the fingers of his other one.

"-Venom-"

The Joker suddenly tore the newspaper to shreds in a fit of anger. His men stared at him as he pulled his hat off of his head and dropped it onto the hood of the car. Holding up a shred of the newspaper, Joker looked at his men.

"Do you know how long it's been since the headlines of this newspaper contained the word 'Joker' in it?"

His men glanced at each other… then shook their heads. The Joker stared at his men, anger burning in his sadistic eyes.

"Too long… and now, this whole city has its beady little eyes focused entirely on the wrong individual. This city's fear and terror belongs to _me_ and this mutated gimp needs to learn that fact."

Joker's mouth widened into his large smile.

"Boys… it's time to start making headlines."

The Joker laughed as he jumped up on the hood of the car.

"Get ready… because soon, we'll be stealing the show."

The Joker started to giggle before it soon morphed into a full-blown laugh.

"HEHEHEHEH- _HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_ "

* * *

 **As the title suggests, it looks like Diana has earned a spot in Eddie's harem along with Zatanna, while Venom's appearance has drawn the ire of the Clown Prince of Crime. Only time will tell when these two will face off. In the meantime, Eddie/Venom will start gathering followers for their new team, which will spell trouble for the Justice League. Who do you want to be recruited for this team? For that matter, who should be the first recruit? Please leave a review and stay tuned!**


	5. Gathering Followers

**The Watchtower**

Batman sat before the screens, broadcasting different news channels with the same news. Venom struck again, dismantling and disabling Metallo as if he were nothing but a toy before fleeing.

Behind Batman stood the core members of the League, who all had their attention directed at Wonder Woman.

"Diana, you were there." Green Lantern said. "Why did you do nothing to stop him?"

"It's much more complicated than that." Diana said sharply, hands on her hips. "Besides, I wouldn't worry about being killed, though. Venom is not evil. Nor is he crazy."

"Are you even serious?" Superman shouted. "He murdered over 100 people in Gotham in less than a week, and he dismantled Metallo beyond repair. How is he not evil?!"

"Eddie Brock told me." Diana said as she crossed her arms. "He told me Venom has not even hurt one innocent because he's giving them the justice they want. He even saved my life while I was trying to save yours. Besides, Metallo abandoned his humanity long ago. Why else should he be allowed to live?"

Superman grimaced. He hadn't heard anyone criticize him since Livewire, plus Eddie Brock was different than any other detractors.

"End results or not, he's still a killer." Batman retorted.

"And don't think you're not guilty, Batman." Diana added sternly. "You inflict grievous bodily harm on those whom you fight, leaving them bedridden in the hospital for months on end. How can you say that Venom is worse?"

"Because the criminals I fight eventually recover." Batman said unapologetic.

"And when they do, more people get hurt or killed!" Wonder Woman shot back. "Do you hear anyone complaining about Venom's methods? They have no reason to fear him!"

"And how long until those people get hurt by him?" Batman challenged.

"Do you _always_ see everyone with an anti-hero status as a villain, Bruce?" Diana asked, glaring back at him. "Do you see _me_ or my sisters as villains because of where we were raised and trained to be warriors?"

Surprisingly enough, it was Martian Manhunter that also took Wonder Woman's side in this conversation:

"I must concede with Diana's words. Most of the people appear to hold a feeling of respect for Venom. A quick search on the internet would let you know easily of their opinion of him. Most people have thanked him for killing criminals that have caused the most suffering towards them. After all, the Joker has escaped more than three times from prison.

Adding to this is Sean Ashburn Kruger's support for vigilantes who have used lethal force more than once despite his distaste for violence. He even publicly made it clear when Venom stopped Intergang from robbing one of Global Tech's main banks. With his connections to the government, there would be no doubt he will do everything in his power to keep Venom out of our reach.

Still, I believe we should at least try and communicate with him."

"What? You're suggesting we let him on the team so we can keep his hunger for human flesh at bay?" Arrow asked with a frown. "No wonder Speedy can't stand you guys."

"This is different." Black Canary said sternly. "We just have to get through to him before he strays away from his path. We can show him there's such thing as second chances."

"I doubt it." Diana muttered silently, knowing that that type of strategy had blinded both her and Helena for years from their true goals.

"How do we know when or where he'll hit next?" the Flash asked.

Superman stood up. "I think it's time we ask Mr. Brock some questions."

* * *

 **Global Tech, Sean's Office**

Eddie skimmed through the folder containing files on the world's most powerful metahumans and normal vigilantes, ranging from Poison Ivy and Livewire to Deathstroke and Deadshot.

"So, how do you think we'll get ex-bad guys over to our side of things?" Eddie asked.

"Easy. We offer them money, protection, a base of operations, and a full pardoning of their past crimes." Sean answered. "Hey, some of them might even want to volunteer, unlike their Squad days. For some of them with powers forced upon them, my guys in the labs have already developed new tech to help slightly reverse their conditions and reintegrate them into society."

Eddie began to smile at the plans his friend had made. This wasn't someone who made money and technology for personal gain or misguided attempts to bring peace, like Luthor or Drake. This was someone who genuinely wanted to create a better world where death and suffering cease to exist.

 ** _'And the haters say he's in it for the money.'_** Venom quipped.

"Okay, who do you think we should recruit first?" Eddie asked.

"Volcana." Sean said, setting a picture of a young woman with long fiery red hair. "My satellites were able to track her down to an old warehouse almost outside of Metropolis."

 ** _"Wait."_** the Venom tendril said with a tone of panic. **_"Are you seriously recruiting someone who's got one of our weaknesses?"_**

"Hey, calm down!" Eddie scolded his other. "The lady was experimented on by some shady business like you were in the Life Foundation. We just gotta give her a chance."

The symbiote stared at his host and Sean for a moment before coming to his agreement, **_"Fine. She touches us without permission, we keep our distance."_**

"C'mon. I thought you like having physical contact with hot super chicks through me." Eddie said with a smirk before turning to Sean. "What about you? Who else you gonna recruit?"

"I'll contact the rest to make things easy for you." Sean said. "I'll be starting with Deathstroke."

"Deathstroke the Terminator?" Eddie paled.

 ** _"I thought Metallo's supposed to be the Terminator?"_** Venom asked, feeling a bit bummed out they wasted their reference on the android.

"Right now, he's hiding out in one of his safe houses in Jump City." Sean said. "I'll try to contact him about the offer."

"And if he refuses?" Eddie asked.

"Then we'll just give him a head start like Cadmus once did, only he'll have time to think about the proposal."

Eddie looked down to the floor as he considered this. There were some villains with good intentions that weren't much of a team player, but if he could use the right words that can get them to fight for the right thing, then there would be no problem at all.

"Alright, we're set." Eddie concluded as Venom retracted back into him. "We'll just head back to our mansion, take whatever might come in handy with us, and we're off."

"Good luck, you two." Sean said, waving both his friends goodbye as they walked out the office.

 ** _'You know, Volcana doesn't sound too bad after all.'_** Venom spoke up as Eddie walked through the halls. **_'She looks and sounds hot. Pun intended.'_**

"See? I told you you didn't have to worry about her." Eddie said with a smile before it quickly faded. "It's Black Canary you gotta worry about. High-pitched scream and all that. Wait till you hear how she sings with that."

 ** _'…Can we add her as a mate too?'_**

"You are messing with our common sense." Eddie muttered.

* * *

Eddie was overlooking the city on the roof of the Global Tech building, surveying the citizens going about their day, but he was preparing for the formation of his new team.

"This is gonna piss off the League." he spoke up.

 ** _'So?'_** Venom asked. **_'They won't be able to pull anything off now that Sean's backing us up.'_**

"They'll still probably act all high and mighty and try to shut us down." Eddie said. "They always rely on the law, so we ain't got shit to be afraid of."

"I hope your manners are still running, Mr. Brock." a young female voice said behind him.

Eddie let out a girlish yelp as he turned around and saw Supergirl hovering in the air arms crossed and a glare on her face.

 ** _'Great, the Girl Scout's here.'_** Venom snarled. **_'And she didn't even bring any cookies.'_**

"Don't sweat it, I got this." Eddie whispered.

"What was that?"

Both host and symbiote cursed themselves mentally for forgetting that Supergirl had super-hearing, just like her cousin.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself." Eddie said. "So, is there anything we can help you with?"

"Actually, you can start by telling me what yours and Sean's problem is with my cousin." Supergirl said, making the reporter raise an eyebrow.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because he's too focused on his ego to see the good Venom's done." Eddie said with a shrug.

"What does that mean?" Supergirl asked.

"Well, he thinks just because he's got all that power that he has the right to decide who's guilty." Eddie clarified.

"That's not true." Supergirl argued.

"Really? Then why did he try to force Venom to go to prison?" Eddie asked.

"Well, he's a killer." Supergirl said.

"True, but what kind of people is he killing?" Eddie pushed further.

This caught her off guard. Superman had told her that Venom hunted and killed criminals, but was never specified as to what kind.

 ** _'So innocent, so careless.'_** Venom commented, and Eddie glared mentally.

"Venom's been killing criminals without giving them a fair trial." Supergirl said. "He's not giving them a chance to change."

"Is that what your goody two-shoes cousin fed you?" Eddie scowled. "Venom is not hurting anyone. All he's doing is picking off the rotten apples from the tree. Trust me. The world's better off without them."

"Really?" She asked as she crossed her arms. "What makes you think he has the right to be judge, jury, and executioner?"

Eddie sighed. "It's so it won't happen again. These psychopaths always find a way to get out of prison scot-free with either money, connections or threats to cause more suffering than they had last time. Don't tell me that you wouldn't be glad when Lex Luthor dies someday, right?"

Supergirl didn't want to admit it, but he did have a point. She hated Luthor for trying to kill her cousin as well as the rest of the Justice League. Whenever she helped the League take down threats like him, they would always see him out by the end of the month causing more havoc against them. She always thought about why neither Superman nor Batman won't just kill their enemies, and the only answer was that they'd be no better than them. That answer has bothered her sometimes, but she let it slide later on.

"But… what if people end up getting hurt?"

 ** _'How long do we have to keep putting up with this ideal bullshit?'_** Venom snarled in frustration.

"He'll take responsibility." Eddie answered. "Unlike the so-called Justice League. They never think that letting people like the Joker and Luthor live makes things worse for the world, and second chances are not an option for them anymore. They think it just happens on a regular basis, and those killed by those maniacs are just seen as 'casualties of war', and they don't know it's their fault for letting it happen."

"But killing them just makes us feel worse than them and every other villain." Supergirl said.

 ** _'There they go again. Feeding their children lies.'_** Venom growled. **_'Try pushing her deeper.'_**

"That kind of thinking is just a bullshit excuse." Eddie said as Supergirl saw the grim expression on his face. "We can't always please people. No one appreciates what superheroes have done for their good. All they ever see are people who let scum that kill their friends and family walk free. They don't want only justice, they want _results_."

Supergirl gasped silently. In her years of working with the Justice League, she always thought that believing in justice and letting the courts do their work would give people hope, but she never thought of the more _negative_ aspects that come with it. At first, she thought the people were being ungrateful, but from what Eddie had just said to her, she now understood why.

"You wanna know what makes Venom different from the other 'take no prisoners' types of heroes?" Eddie asked. "He knows which criminal is forced to do the things they do to help those they love and which criminal kills innocents just because. Forgiveness can't stop that kind of evil, but the death sentence can."

He headed towards the door, but stops as he gives Supergirl one last look at her. "We're not the ones clouding your judgement, it's having an image and an ego that does. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

With that, he exited the roof through the door, leaving Supergirl alone to her thoughts, pondering Eddie's words.

 _"Kara, come in."_ her communicator went off, breaking her out of her thoughts as she answered her cousin's call.

"Yes, Kal?" she asked in a rather shaky voice, already taking in what Eddie said about her cousin and the rest of the Justice League.

 _"Did you find Brock?"_

"I did. We just talked on top of the Global Tech building and…" she sighed, knowing that her next words will tick off Superman. "…he said the same things he said to Wonder Woman about us. That we're not doing any better just by holding back."

 _"Kara, whatever he or Sean says is not true."_ Superman tried to assure her. _"They're trying to keep you off track, and we won't find Venom in time if they do. Don't let them get to your head."_

"Understood. Call you back." Kara said as she cut off the connection, though she still thought about what Eddie said before.

 _'We're not the ones clouding your judgement.'_

* * *

Volcana made a long trip to the warehouse to see a contact about a stolen item. She really hoped the asshole didn't stand her up, or what was worse, was some super-secret government agent who was going to arrest her and make her return to them. Cadmus, honestly, they were backed by the government, and they wanted to weaponize people like her. Claire wasn't that fond of that, so she did what she had to make an honest living.

And given how a nine to five wasn't exactly the best idea for someone who was wanted by the government, she settled for stealing items. She stood, quite a sight to behold. Her flame colored red hair came down past her ass, and both drew attention away from it. She wore a pair of sunglasses to hide her exotic orange eyes. She wore a tight white top and a pair of black leather pants, with a leather jacket to match.

Claire Selton was hot, and she knew it. She heard someone inside, so the next stop was picking up the case and walking towards the door. She opened it, only to see a figure leaning against the wall, and she knew who it was.

"Eddie Brock?" Claire asked. " _You're_ the contact? Are you really that desperate to get an interview with me?"

"No, no, I'm not the contact." Eddie said. "Matter of fact, there never was a contact with a shiny valuable to begin with. We just needed you here so we can discuss business."

"So, you're here to take me to the government." Volcana said.

"Well, not really." Eddie said. "It _is_ government-related, but this is something you can't refuse."

"Look, sweetie, I'll level with you," Volcana said. "I want to have a normal life, have a nice picket fence, a steady job, a husband, and two point five children. Nice, quiet life, but the problem is, when I started setting things on fire, that was the end of any normal life."

Eddie stopped. She sounded sincere, but he didn't know.

She took a step closer towards him. Eddie tried to keep his eyes off of her body, but it was beyond difficult. Volcana was extremely beautiful, alluring, and hot, no pun intended. She was also very dangerous.

"And the government cut my parents a deal, to help me control these powers, and allow me to live a normal life." Volcana said. "They wanted to know how I ticked, what made me powerful. They put me through experiments, and decided to make me one of their top operatives. They had me do some really bad things."

She moved a little bit closer towards Eddie. The reporter could not tear his eyes away from her curves. She was hot, it was a shame she was a criminal.

Fortunately, not for long.

Volcana stopped, she noticed Eddie struggling not to look at her.

"Believe it, or not, the government rarely has the best interests of the people in mind." Volcana said. "If they have a small group of super-powered mercenaries at their disposal, then the United States would have weapons which they can point at any country who gets out of line."

 ** _'You were right… she and I are a lot alike.'_** Venom admitted.

"Well, this time it's different." Eddie said with a smile as he snapped out of his stupor. "The government won't be able to use you or anyone with powers as lab rats anymore. Thanks to one Sean Ashburn Kruger."

" _The_ Sean Ashburn Kruger of Global Tech?" Volcana asked with surprise and interest. "What does he want me for?"

"We're putting together a team to do what the goody two-shoes League won't." Eddie explained. "We'll let you join if you hurt, kill, possibly, _very_ possibly, _burn_ very bad people."

"Say we help you. What do we get out of it?" Volcana asked.

"Sean can get you and the other recruits full pardons from the government, thanks to his and his company's connections with them. This is your chance to be a real hero unlike that shitty League. We'll give the world the justice it deserves."

That sounded good actually. Finally being able to use her powers for a special cause, free from the Boy Scout and the League's radar, plus she found someone she can flirt with easily.

"Count me in." Volcana said, but then looked confused. "But… who's gonna be the leader of this team?"

"You're looking at them." Eddie said as the tendril with Venom's face formed from his back, shocking Volcana.

 ** _"What's wrong, Claire?"_** Venom asked. **_"Thought you had the_ hots _for strong men."_**

Volcana broke out of her stupor before letting out an amused giggle at the symbiote's pun, even if Eddie didn't find it that funny.

"So, San Francisco's top reporter is actually Venom." she said bemusedly. "Makes me wonder who would be smart enough to pull off that gag."

 ** _"I almost doubted you when you had one of our weaknesses at your disposal."_** Venom said. **_"But now that you gave us a recap on your life as an experiment, I started to like you. We have a lot in common as experiments."_**

"Talk about rekindling a relationship." Volcana quipped. "I think we'll get along just fine."

"You won't regret this, Claire." Eddie said with a smile as the symbiote retracted back into him before gesturing to the motorcycle in the middle of the room. "Now, hop on. My bike's just been filled up, and I'm saving most of it once I head back to Gotham."

"You got your own ride?" Claire asked with interest as she saw the reporter hop on his motorcycle. "Now you're the type of guy with more edginess than Boy Scout."

Eddie blushed a bit as he started his vehicle. "Grab anywhere you want."

"You mean _anywhere_ ~?" Volcana teased, giggling as she saw Eddie's blush deepen.

"I mean, hold onto me. Tightly." Eddie corrected as Volcana sat behind him.

"Like this?" Volcana asked seductively as she wrapped her arms around Eddie's waist, flustering the reporter even further.

 ** _'Got anymore innuendos in mind?'_** Venom asked. **_'I sure do.'_**

"…Ah, fuck it." Eddie muttered as he gave up. "Welcome to the fold."

* * *

 **Global Tech**

"And what do I owe to the honor of this visit, Kruger?" Slade Wilson, the man known as the Terminator or Deathstroke, asked as he faced the young CEO.

"Well I have an offer to make to you, Wilson. And this is the only offer you can't turn away from."

"I'm all ears." Slade was never one for dawdling. If it appeared the twenty-year-old CEO just brought him here to waste his time he was going to make sure his next shot didn't miss.

"Then I won't waste your time. I'm forming a special team sanctioned legally by our government to hunt down and eliminate the criminals that the League won't. Sort of like Waller's Suicide Squad minus the explosive chips in your head and way more freedom."

Deathstroke wasn't what one would call a team player. He preferred to handle things on his own. "And you wish to recruit me for this team?"

"It'll be worth your time. I can handle any payment within reason of course. What I really need is someone of your talent training most of the people I plan on recruiting in weapons and hand to hand combat skills. Even the lowest level of combat arts I know are far beyond what most people in this world is capable of unless they're an alien or are nearly godlike in power."

"I assume you no longer care of your reputation? If this group is going to be sanctioned you're going to be put in the limelight. Many who worked for you will question your decisions like with Cadmus."

Sean let out a faint exhale, "Well, when it comes down to it, I think keeping innocent people safe is far more important than my own image and my morals. If my morals demand I ignore and let people murder innocent children just because killing said murderer would go against that moral then such morals aren't very good ones. Any idiot who argues killing someone like that makes you like that were never in such a situation and does not have the right or the moral understanding to make such a thought. "

Deathstroke sat quietly taking in all the information given to him. The kid was always different from his previous clients and right now it was being proven.

"An interesting proposition. For now I will go along with it, but I need time to see how you run your operation before I fully commit. There is one thing I am curious about. Who else are you recruiting?" He needed to see if the boy had any idea on forming team cohesion.

"Currently I have Venom appointed as the leader."

"Is such a recruit wise? Considering his hostility towards assassins with no regard for life? If they're even _called_ assassins for that matter?

"Don't worry. He might get along well with people sharing his profession." Sean said. "Just as long as they don't involve innocents in the crossfire."

"And you're sure of this?"

"I know of it."

Deathstroke picked up the hidden meaning of that response. He chose not to make a comment on it. "Who else?"

"Pamela Isley. She hasn't come on board yet, but I am sure with a little more prodding she will join us. A botanist of her skill level would be useful in terms of dealing with poisons and toxins. I know she cares greatly about the environment, but I can show her how to _properly_ save it without the use of threats.

Then there is T.O. Morrow who will be one of the candidates for our technological heavies. I've already contacted him hours ago, so he'll be here in no time.

There is of course Sinestro, who will be a tricky one to convert, but I'm hoping to get him to come around. From what I understand, the reason he switched from Will power to Fear is for his strong desire for justice. Of course that sense of justice has been warped, but a sense of justice nonetheless, he just needs to be reminded why he went down this path all those years ago.

Then of course I wish to recruit Cheetah, her knowledge on genetics will be useful and the list goes on. "

Listing off Captain Cold, Deadshot, and a few other names.

"And you think you can recruit these people?"

"I know where most of them are. It's just a matter of motivating them to join to which I think for most of them will be easy. Since so many of them turned to crime out of desperation, all I need to do is be the key to their salvation and by coming through I'll earn their loyalty. Unlike the leaders of the passed Injustice Society, I'll earn that loyalty and devotion instead of bribing them or using fear henceforth avoid setting myself up for inevitable betrayal."

While Deathstroke wasn't one-hundred percent on board it would be a lie to say his interest wasn't peeked. He would observe and see what the kid does from this point on and see if he had what it takes to pull this little team of his together or if he would fail.

"Deal."

As soon as that was done, a beep went off on Sean's phone and he pressed on the button to answer it. "Yeah, Vic?"

"Sir, you have a guest in the lobby." Vic said. "Someone named Claire Selton."

"Looks like our next recruit's more eager to join." Sean said. "Bring her in."

* * *

 **Eddie's Mansion, Afternoon**

Right after dropping Volcana off at Global Tech, Eddie returned to the mansion nearly ten minutes minutes later, much faster than walking. Opening the front gates with his key, he entered before parking his motorcycle in the garage.

"Honeys. We're home." he called out, but there was no answer.

He checked the kitchen to see if his exes were chatting with each other, but it was empty.

That was when he found a note on the table.

 _Went out for a stroll. Just a chat between us girls._

 _-Annie and Zee_

 ** _'Payback at its finest.'_** Venom commented.

Eddie sighed as he went to the living room and grabbed the remote before turning on the television, but the screen displayed static instead.

"That's funny. Sean told me it was new." Eddie said before a bolt of lightning shot out of the screen and landed next to him.

The bolt manifested into a young woman with white-blue skin, frizzle-spiky hair, blue eyes and lips. She wore a black leather leotard well fitting in her hourglass figure, with a zigzag neckline that showed parts of her chest, and her midriff, blue gloves, and black thigh high boots.

The woman was none other than one of Superman's enemies, Livewire, who was once a Superman-bashing radio DJ named Leslie Willis, until an accident during a storm in her concert celebrating her show's third anniversary transformed her into an electric being.

Even though Eddie didn't like her attitude back then, he still felt she didn't deserve this fate, and this offer was the only chance to change her for the better.

"Hello, handsome." Livewire said seductively.

"Hello, Leslie." Eddie said making her blink before smiling.

"Aw, you know my real name." Livewire purred, trailing a finger on his face, making him smirk at her.

"Who doesn't know your real name anymore other than fly boy?" Eddie said, making her giggle.

"True. Ever since he made me into this, my life's been a little hectic, but maybe you and your friend could help me out with that."

"In what? Getting rid of your powers?" Eddie asked making her scoff.

"Please. Do you really think I want to get rid of them when I can actually help people like you do?" Livewire asked. "I've heard you and Sean are forming your own team to be better than Boy Scout and his old school League."

"How'd you get that?" Eddie asked curiously, but then it quickly dawned on him. "Oh, right. Transferred yourself to electronic signals. So, what do you wanna get from that?"

"Oh, you know. My old looks back when I'm on my free time and then switch back to this and help others like you and Snaggletooth." Livewire said, making him chuckle at her nickname for Venom.

 ** _'Still better than being called a parasite.'_** Venom muttered.

"Funny. Anyway, if we help you in being able to switch from your old body to this one on your free will, what guarantee do we have that you'll help others for real this time?" Eddie asked, making her smirk before pulling him into a kiss, pulling away ten seconds later.

"Does that answer your question?" Livewire asked.

"Not exactly, but I'm not complaining." Eddie said making her smirk.

"Look. Truth is I was more than willing to help others once I was in jail for my screw ups, but Superman kept getting in the way and said I would never change." Livewire said.

"Big shock there."

 ** _'Pun intended.'_**

"He's always been an asshole." Eddie finished. "Alright, Leslie. I'll…"

"It's Livewire, honey. I like it better." Livewire said making him smirk.

"Alright, Livewire. We'll see what we can do." Eddie said as Livewire retreated back into the television, which then began to switch to the sports channel.

Eddie turned off the TV before he headed towards the garage where his motorcycle was kept, ready to head back to Gotham to search for more members.

The garage door opened, and Eddie revved up his motorcycle's engines, ready to take his leave once more.

By the time the door was open, his eyes widened as he saw the last people he or Venom expected to see.

"Shit/ ** _Shit._** "

The Justice League was here.

"Hello, Eddie." Superman said kindly. "I hope we're not intruding."

"Where are you off to?" Hawkgirl asked.

"Back to Gotham to grab my stuff from my apartment." Eddie answered simply. "Plus, I got an idea for another story when I get back. And it's on how the Justice League was able to find my new mansion."

"Look, man." the Flash spoke up. "We're not here to cause trouble."

"We just want some questions about Venom." Black Canary said. "We were hoping you could help us find him before people get hurt."

"As far as I know, I think he's taking his job of protecting the innocent more seriously than you guys." Eddie scoffed, making the majority of the League frown at his response. "If you'll excuse me, I've got a job to do."

"First, we want answers. _Now_." Batman said firmly with his infamous Bat-Glare.

That was when something unnerved him.

Eddie gave him a glare of his own, which possessed an aura that almost surpassed Batman's.

"Eddie, please." Wonder Woman spoke up before things could escalate. "I know there are differences between you and us, but you need to trust us just this once."

Eddie shifted his gaze from Diana towards Supergirl, and saw the look in her eyes. The look that said, _'Please, Eddie, don't make things worse'_.

 ** _'Come on, Eddie.'_** Venom urged his host. **_'Do it for the girls.'_**

After a few tense seconds, Eddie hopped off of his motorcycle with a sigh.

"Fine. You guys try anything funny, and my attorney's gonna have a word with you." Eddie said. "And by attorney, I mean my girlfriend."

Unbeknownst to them, Livewire was hidden in one of the mansion's satellites, listening to every word and summing up exactly what was on Eddie's mind.

"Oh, shit."

* * *

 **BUM BUM BUUUUM! What a cliffhanger!**

 **Sorry if I took so long. I was busy studying for my finals on Wednesday, so I didn't have all the time in the world, but with Winter Break around the corner, I'll have more time to upload new chapters quicker!**

 **Anyway, it looks like the recruitment has begun. So far, there are three members that have immediately joined, while things are gonna go downhill for Eddie/Venom now that they are in the League's custody. How will they get out of this predicament? Will Wonder Woman or Supergirl do something now that Eddie got through to them? Find out in the next chapter!**


	6. Interrogation

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Venom or Justice League. Venom is property of Marvel, Justice League is property of DC, and Sean Ashburn Kruger and Global Tech belong to Dragonlord0.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Eddie's Mansion, Living Room**

Eddie was sitting on his couch, and standing around him were the members of the League. "I never thought you of all people decided to just barge into my new home unannounced so you can get all the info about our big pal." he spoke up.

 ** _'Wow, the standards for being a hero have really dropped.'_** Venom added.

"This wasn't our first choice." said Batman.

"But it's the choice you went with." Eddie countered. "You could have just gotten to know me and then once you've gained my trust I would gladly tell you what you want to know. Instead you rushed and made the situation worse than what it was."

"That's not why we came here today, we need to know some things before we feel comfortable letting you go." Superman said.

Hawkgirl took over, "Superman informed us that you spoke negatively of the League. Do you have reasoning?" Eddie had to admit, she commanded a room and seemed much deadlier than Superman.

"More importantly, why do you keep defending Venom?" the Flash asked. "Don't you know how many people he might hurt next?"

 ** _'Ingrates.'_** Venom growled, already feeling a sense of hatred towards the League as his host glared at them. **_'Lay it on them, Eddie.'_**

Eddie shifted his focus on Wonder Woman and Supergirl, who both had looks of uncertainty on their faces before he spoke.

"Personally I think you're far too soft." A few raised eyebrows around the room met this statement. "Compared to Gotham, Metropolis or Star City, San Francisco looks empty now that crime's down by 60%, thanks to someone who's got the balls to do what needs to be done."

"Now hold on, each city has its own problems and its own solutions and crime at all levels has fallen since the Justice League was created. You can't compare our problems with yours. We're just doing the best we can with what we have." said Green Lantern, clearly not happy with Eddie's view of the League.

"I get that and while I admit you're doing great, you're doing things your way. If you want the same villains that's all well and good but the same villains means the same deaths over again. What would you like to ask next?" Eddie once again remained polite but there was a coldness to his words.

"What exactly is it you want?" asked Superman.

"I want to help people, to save them from horrible futures, by having them turn to someone else who does what no one else will. I've heard and seen what a second chance given to the wrong person can do, is that something Venom's willing to give to half the scum your organization does the jail dance with? Probably not." Eddie crossed his arms and waited for the onslaught.

"You want us to let Venom keep killing? You've got balls asking that!" shouted Green Lantern.

"Anyone can become good with a second chance, Eddie. Who are we to decide who lives and dies?" Hawkgirl asked with authority.

"Really? If none of you decide who lives and who dies, then why do you decide to let the bad guys run free after all the bodies they piled up?" Eddie said with a scoff.

The League all looked at each other, all trying to find the right words to say to put Eddie to ease.

"That's what heroes do. It's the choices we make that define us. It's the examples we set for future generations that really matters." said the Flash in a more solemn tone.

"That's the trade off Eddie, with power comes duty." said Black Canary.

"I guess I see what you mean, but what if you can't stop them again?" Eddie asked.

"That's why we formed the League, so we'd never have to face that alone." Superman said reassuringly.

Eddie could see it, the more optimistic viewpoint that the League shared, something he never thought he'd get.

 ** _'They're dodging the question.'_** Venom growled. **_'Have anything else to back us up?'_**

"You guys really are a bunch of ego stroking politicians, aren't you?" Eddie asked with a cynical chuckle, earning a few frowns from the League.

"What was that?" Green Lantern asked dangerously.

 ** _'Touching some nerves now, are we?'_** Venom asked with interest. **_'Keep it coming.'_**

"You care about your popularity so much you still won't get your hands dirty even when the public demands for scum like the Joker to have their heads on pikes and their bodies burned." Eddie clarified.

"We're trying our best to help whoever we can." Flash said frustratingly.

"Really? Here's the thing. When it comes down to the most common choice, you choose to let the real bad guys go to make yourselves look better while people suffer. You expect the law to do everything when it's both flawed and corrupted. You think the world is perfect, huh? Well, guess what? It's not. And people like you just make things worse. Sure you'll save a few lives every now and then, but what about the lives that say the Joker takes. Are you going to stop them forever by letting him live?" Eddie asked.

Some of the League wanted to retort, but judging by the looks on their faces, they couldn't find an answer.

"You need to understand." Eddie continued. "Venom's helping people who have suffered so much by giving them what they've been wanting from you for so long."

"You mean by murdering people? Because that's what Venom is doing, killing people who will never get a chance to redeem themselves." Batman replied, lightly snarling.

"Never get a chance?" Eddie repeated. "If he's not giving them a chance, then why is he only sparing people who turned to crime to feed their families? Is that something a murderer does?"

"Regardless, he needs to stop this bloodshed." Green Lantern spoke up.

"I think you misunderstood. You put your moral code above an innocent person's life that you won't give them the closure they want." Eddie replied angrily. "You always see the likes of Venom as villains no matter how many people they help or how many people approve of their methods."

"Excuses make it easier." Superman said firmly.

"You know, I'm not wasting my time with the likes of people who are enablers to psychotic killers. Given that's basically your entire League I really have to question why you even recruit those that have killed before in the first place." he shifted his gaze to Wonder Woman and Green Arrow, who both had looks of surprise on their faces. "You willingly letting innocent people die all so you can consider yourselves heroes makes me sick."

"That's not the point." Black Canary argued. "We're trying to give Venom a chance to be a part of something greater than himself before he turns on the very people he's protecting."

 ** _'They're trying to soften us up.'_** Venom snarled with anger. **_'Let's wrap up this conversation.'_**

"Are you telling me that you want him to join your little band so he can let people who lost their loved ones to scum like Joker live the rest of their lives with grief? Without closure? That they should keep assuring their future children to believe in you and your flimsy code before they suffer the same fate?" Eddie asked.

The League stood silent.

"Thought you'd say that." Eddie said spitefully as he got up from his seat and turned to leave. "If you don't agree with my opinions, then I suggest you leave while I do. I ain't got shit to give you."

"We're not finished talking." Batman said firmly as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

 ** _'That's it!'_**

With blinding speed, Eddie grabbed him by the collar of his suit, lifting the Dark Knight off the ground before slamming him on the wall, though with less force as to not wreck it.

"Yes. We. Are!" Eddie growled, and Batman could have sworn he saw the reporter's eyes turn white for a brief moment if he kept still.

"Eddie, stop!" Supergirl shouted for the first time, making the reporter's gaze shift towards her. "We get why you're questioning our decisions, but you don't need to lash out at us!"

"There's no need for further violence." Wonder Woman added. "I too understand where you're getting at with this, and you're right. Please. Put him down."

Eddie stared at them for a moment before letting go of Batman with a shove.

"Leave. _Now_." he demanded.

"Not yet." Superman said firmly. "No man of your stature should be able to lift someone wearing that much body armor."

"That's natural, right?" Eddie asked cynically, though on the inside, he wished he didn't snap.

 ** _'Eddie, get us out of here.'_** Venom said in a rushed voice, anger subsiding as panic overtook them.

"Unless it's genetically enhanced." Green Lantern insisted.

"Listen, I've been working out for a year to do that." Eddie said, hoping this would get the League to back off. "That sound natural enough?"

Judging by the looks the League gave him, it was obvious they didn't believe him in the slightest.

"Manhunter?" Green Lantern said.

Eddie's eyes widened, knowing exactly who it was.

"Shit."

Martian Manhunter actually looked at the rest of the League wondering if he should begin, when they nodded he turned back to Eddie as his eyes glowed red and he dove into the reporter's mind, but before he could access any thoughts, only one managed to pop up.

 ** _'Occupied, Green Bean!'_**

J'onn almost jumped back in surprise at the voice, and nearly fell to the floor had the Flash not caught him in time.

"What the hell was that?!" Green Lantern shouted.

"Forgive me." J'onn said as he shook his head. "I heard a voice. It sounded like Eddie, but deeper."

Superman narrowed his eyes at the reporter as his X-Ray vision took effect.

His biggest shock came when he saw a flowing mass within Eddie's system, and it wasn't blood.

"Eddie, there's something inside of you." Superman said as it slowly dawned on him. "Is it…?"

"Okay, you got us." Eddie raised his hands up in the air in defeat.

"'Us'?" Superman asked with a raised eyebrow.

To their great shock, the flowing tendril with Venom's face came out of Eddie's shoulder, snarling at them to show his anger at the heroes.

 ** _"You wanted us? Here we are."_** Venom hissed.

"Talk. _Now_." Batman said with a snarl.

"Do you want the long version, or the extra-long version?" Eddie joked with the Dark Knight, whose glare deepened further. "Extra-long version it is then."

* * *

 **Global Tech**

This was all very strange to Deadshot. Being called by Deathstroke no less for a meeting at Global Tech was not something he was expecting. He didn't even talk to Deathstroke all that much, but he would be lying if he wasn't curious what the man wanted.

He was told that Sean Ashburn Kruger also wanted to speak with him. He was surprised that the young CEO of one of the most respected companies that nearly topped off Lex Corp had contacted him. So that begged the question. What did he want with him?

"Deadshot, thank you for coming." Sean says. "Would you like anything to drink?" He offers.

"No, I'm more curious with what you want with me." Deadshot said, shifting his focus on the other recruits, Deathstroke, Volcana and T. O. Morrow, who had arrived just an hour ago.

"Straight to the point, huh? Very well. Like everyone else in this room I have a proposition for you. I want you to join us in helping this world become a better place. Not everyone in this world can change like the Justice League believes." He stops momentarily and sees that he has the mercenary's complete attention.

"Sometimes there's only one way to cure some people." He says.

"…with a bullet between the eyes." Deadshot finished the sentence. "Why would I join?" He asks

"This could be an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself. To have a purpose in life, to be looked up to." As Sean was talking to Deadshot the other three members were also paying close attention to the conversation. "And to help your daughter financially so both of you can get out the neighborhood."

They had to admit, he was good. Knowing how many suicide missions Deadshot has been on, giving him a purpose would be a good motivator.

"And at the end of it all, I'm sure there will still be some people after your head." Sean finished.

"That's supposed to be persuading me to join?" Deadshot comments referring to the last bit.

"It should, because you'd still be able to collect the bounties on anyone who tries you and more importantly, I wouldn't be one of them." He finished. "So what do you say?"

"What if I say no? I assume I'll be killed?"

"No, you can refuse my offer and leave this place right now without a scratch on you." His voice became harder on the next sentence. "But the next time you're on a job and someone innocent is killed because of you, then we might hand you back to Waller for another Squad mission."

Deadshot looks around and sees everyone looking at him, expecting his answer. Volcana on the other hand is reinforcing Sean's threat by producing a fireball from her hand and looking right at him.

He turns to look at Sean and says nothing as he thinks over his options. A chance for something new sounded good to him, he'd still get his bounties, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, being looked up to for once sounded good, mainly by Zoe, whom he might be able to help get out of the neighborhood once he gets enough money by joining this little group.

For the first time, this offer was something Deadshot genuinely couldn't deny.

"Deal."

Sean shakes his hand and says "Welcome aboard."

That was when a bolt of electricity struck from Sean's computer and right next to him, which manifested into a worried Livewire.

"Leslie!" Sean said, surprised at the arrival of the electricity powered ex-villainess before he smiled. "You're right on time. Just got the new recruits on board and-"

"I'm in, I got it." Livewire cut in before she got serious, ignoring the surprised look on Sean's face. "Right now, we've got a major league problem."

* * *

 **Things are getting worse for Eddie/Venom now that they revealed themselves to the League. Meanwhile, Deadshot has come aboard for their new team, and Livewire has come just in time to warn Sean. Next time, Anne and Zatanna have a chat about Eddie, meaning that tensions will rise between her and the League once Eddie and Venom find a way out of their predicament in the next chapter.**

 **Sorry if this chapter was short, but the next chapter will continue with the League's interrogation of Eddie/Venom, meaning there will be more bashing to come. Stay tuned and have a Happy New Year!**


	7. Tensions Rise

**Centennial Park, Metropolis**

"So, what made you and Eddie come to Metropolis?" Zatanna asked as she and Anne were seated on a bench.

"Me and Eddie wanted to kick our careers into high gear and go international." Anne said. "We worked as a sort of investigative group; he does the investigation and I do the filing for the clients."

"Maybe you should be called the Dynamic Duo." Zatanna said, earning a chuckle from Anne.

"More like a trio." Anne spoke up, earning a raised eyebrow from Zatanna. "Our jobs have gotten easier since Venom came into our lives."

"Venom?" Zatanna asked in a surprised tone. "You mean the guy from San Francisco who's popped up in Gotham a week ago?"

"Yeah, me and Eddie bumped into him a few times and he helped out on some cases." Anne said, though the story was half true in a sense. "We bust a few criminals, he takes out the rest."

"Take out? As in killing them?" Zatanna asked, a bit shocked at this. "What if people get caught in the crossfire?"

"He'll take responsibility." Anne said firmly before turning her attention to the golden Superman statue in the center of the park. "I don't mean to insult your friends, but Venom told us that not once did the League stick around to pay their respects to the families of those killed. Venom has, and he has brought criminals to justice, especially child murderers."

Zatanna stood silent; never had she heard people talk about the Justice League the way Anne did, and now she was starting to have second thoughts about the way they operate.

"Still, he's not out to kill _every_ criminal he sees. Murderers, rapists, and terrorists get the death sentence, while thieves and other small offenders only get a warning or a cell, but if they're turning to crime to help their families, then we toss them back into society with a clean mind." Anne continued. "And he's not just stopping crime, he's doing the kinds of things Superman's normally doing: foiling robberies, stopping runaway vehicles, even saving a cat from a tree!"

"Venom sounds like a different person from that story." Zatanna commented. "I don't see why the League misjudges him, he sounds like a good guy."

"Their pride and ego never let them see the good Venom has done for the people." Anne stated as she glared at the statue even further. "They never even have time for the people's needs or even hear their opinions about Venom. What the people do know is that Venom is giving them something to truly believe in. To make sure they no longer have to be afraid of going out alone since he's going the extra mile to keep them safe."

Zatanna looked at the ground as she thought about what Anne had said. "When you put it altogether like that, I think I understand why people keep expecting more from us."

"Glad you understand, Zee." Anne replied when her phone went off, and she saw who was contacting her.

"Oh, it's Sean." she said before answering. "Hello?"

Her smile faded.

"Whoa, slow down. What is it?" she asked, then a look of shock formed on her face. "Oh, God. We'll be right there!"

"What's the matter?" Zatanna asked concerned as Anne hung up before turning to her.

"I think your friends decided to pay Eddie a visit."

* * *

 **Eddie's Mansion**

"And that's how I ended up having an alien bonded to my system." Eddie concluded as he took another bite out of a chocolate bar. "Not gonna lie, but it's still not a lot of fun when you're out having your bones broken and then fixed or having to tear apart psychopaths, even if they deserve it."

To put it short, what the League had learned from him was that he got fired for jumping to conclusions by questioning Carlton Drake about the Life Foundation's shady activities, struggled to find a job for six months, found out his suspicions of the company conducting illegal experimentations were true through one of the scientists, the symbiote bonding with him when he broke in gathering evidence, being on the run from the Life Foundation for a while, engaging in a fight with Drake and his symbiote, which was named Riot, destroying the rocket with them inside, and then getting his job back while fighting crime as Venom, albeit in a brutal and gory fashion.

"We want to speak to Venom." Superman demanded with crossed arms. "I think it's time we get answers."

"Better hope he's in a good mood right now." Eddie warned before the tendril with Venom's face extended from his shoulder.

 ** _"What do you want now?"_** Venom snarled with distaste.

"Why are you hijacking Brock's body?" Green Lantern asked. "You'll wear him out someday if you keep this up."

 ** _"I'm not hijacking anyone."_** Venom said in an offended tone. **_"Eddie agreed to let me stay. In fact, we've learned so much about you. Honestly… we're disappointed."_**

"What makes you say that?" Black Canary asked sternly.

 ** _"He told us there were good people in this world that needed saving, and there are bad people that should have been put down a long time ago."_** Venom explained. **_"People want you to get with the times and do what must be done already, but you don't always seem to listen."_**

"Is that what this is about?" Hawkgirl asked incredulously. "Just to prove that we're not doing enough? Is that why you hate us?"

 ** _"You'll have to ask Eddie for more on that info, Pretty Bird. See ya."_** Venom taunted before retracting back into his host, who gave a smirk that spelled confidence.

"Got anymore questions for us?" Eddie asked.

"Listen, Eddie," said Black Canary as she tried changing tactics, "You're supposed to be a reporter, not a killer."

"Is that what you ask people that do anti-hero stuff all the time?" Eddie asked dryly. "I mean, why else would you let Wonder Woman keep the sword? To make her look more attractive to you guys? Gimme a break!"

"Enough." Batman growled, wanting to get straight to the point already. "We need you to cooperate on this or-"

"Or what, rich boy? You gonna file a lawsuit against me with your cash?" Eddie interrupted, shocking the rest of the League, while Batman remained stoic.

"How did you find out?"

"Let's just say, we had help from a reliable source." Eddie said with a smirk. "But in all honesty it wasn't that hard to figure out. You disappeared for a long time with no one hearing from you and when you came back to Gotham, Batman shows up. Sure that can be written off as a coincidence but then you have to ask yourself, 'How does Batman afford all of his gadgets?' That's when it hits you: either he's rich or someone who's rich is funding him. There's not that many rich people in Gotham that are willing to waste their money and even fewer that have access to everything you have. Even as Bruce Wayne, your training shows whenever you come into a room and you look around, not because you're curious, but because you're looking for threats and escape routes. You try to hide it well but your training as a ninja is too great for you to completely conceal."

"Moving on, if you're letting the symbiote stay with you, then you know what you've been doing is wrong." said Batman.

"Is it really, Batshit?" asked Eddie, unfazed.

"Yes, a life for a life won't make anything right." said Batman.

"You know I find that funny coming from you." Eddie countered.

"And why is that?" Batman challenged.

"Simple: you lost both your parents right in front of you as a kid and it was the first time you really saw the darker side of the world, of Gotham. That can be very traumatizing for a child. Once you were older, you trained with Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows in combat, knowing full well that they expected you to become a full member of their little club. But when your final test came, killing a man that killed his neighbor just so he could have his land, you held back. That even though the guy was a criminal he didn't deserve death and that it was your job to be better than the criminals that you'd be facing." said Eddie.

"I don't know how you knew all of that, but I stand by my decision that day." said Batman calmly. On the inside though he was greatly unnerved by how much Eddie knew about him.

"I'm not saying you chose wrong, that guy could change and didn't deserve to die. Anyway after you got away from the League of Shadows you returned to Gotham to clean up the city by using what scared you most to scare the scum infesting it. You dressed yourself as a bat to fight crime and your plan worked… for awhile." said Eddie.

"Awhile?" asked Batman. The rest of the League were curious too as they were sure Batman was stopping crime in Gotham City.

 ** _'_ Now _they're catching on!'_** Venom hissed in delight. **_'Keep going.'_**

"You're a barking dog with no real bite, the criminals of Gotham were afraid of you at first because you were new and they never dealt with someone like you before. Now they know that nothing really bad will happen to them with you involved. A bruise here and there, yeah, but they're more likely to be killed by a cop in a shootout than you doing anything permanent to them. The criminals in Gotham have changed over the years, but your methods haven't; Joker, Penguin, Scarecrow, and Zsasz pretty much do what they want in your city with the only consequence they have being a month at the most in jail or Arkham." said Eddie before pausing to see what Batman or any member of the League would say.

"It's not my place to decide who lives and who dies just as it isn't your place. Killing makes us no better than the ones we try to stop from killing." said Batman with few of the League agreeing with him, minus Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Green Arrow, who were still taking in what Eddie had said earlier.

 ** _'How many times must they make that excuse?!'_** Venom growled in frustration from the same speech being given over again. **_'Try to bend it a little.'_**

"So in your opinion the cops that had to kill to protect themselves and the public are no better than the people they've killed, that they should be arrested for the lives they've taken while on duty?" asked Eddie.

"That's not what I'm saying at all." said Batman.

"Oh, but it is. You see the world as black and white through your eyes, Batshit, and that's a dangerous way to see it. Let me tell you why you fail as a hero: you try to save everyone without realizing who can't be saved. You can't save everyone Bruce, there are those that just need to die." said Eddie.

"I haven't failed anyone." Batman snarled, feeling his anger rising. "And no one needs to die."

"Tell us Bruce, how tall will the mountain of bodies keep growing before you do what's necessary? How much more vast must the sea of blood that Gotham's drowning in become before you wake up to reality?" asked Eddie. "We can see it in you. You didn't become a hero to stop crime, you became a hero to save _someone_. _Who_ are you trying to save, Bruce? _Who_ do you really see when you refuse to kill the monsters running around in Gotham?"

"I do this for the people of Gotham." said Batman through gritted teeth.

"That's where you're wrong. You're trying to save someone, but who? It's not yourself since you've already given up on that." said Eddie.

"What? What do you mean?" asked Batman.

"Oh come on, Bruce, look at the way you live your life. You're Bruce Wayne, the Billionaire Playboy. You never have a relationship that lasts longer than a day, you have no true friends to speak of, and you never take anything seriously, to the point that while you _own_ Wayne Enterprises, you don't _run_ it. Look at your superhero life, you're paranoid of everyone, you have partners yet they barely know anything about your personal life, and you have everyone in Gotham's electronic devices tapped so that you know their location and what conversations they're having. And finally look at your love life, you push away every girl that tries to come near you on an emotional level. Catwoman, Huntress, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, Zatanna, and so many other hot chicks all just throwing pussy at you and you reject all of it. Preferring to run around with other guys in tights and chasing after the Joker all the time." said Eddie, with a smirk ever so present.

 ** _'Burn.'_** Venom hissed with glee.

Batman gritted his teeth at all this information about him being told to everyone, Supergirl put her hand over her mouth in shock and surprise, Wonder Woman and Black Canary blushed at their pasts with Batman being brought up, and Flash moved away from Batman when he realized what Eddie was implying and really couldn't argue with his point. Green Arrow snickered at the insult directed at his teammates. Green Lantern and Superman didn't react.

 ** _'His loss is our gain.'_** Venom chuckled. **_'Wonder how Zee will react to her ex beating on her other ex after this.'_**

"How do you know all of this?" asked Batman.

"You're not afraid of bats anymore, but you're still afraid of something, and it's yourself." said Eddie, ignoring Batman's question. "Despite everything you've done, you're still that scared little boy in the alley next to your dead parents. You refuse to kill because you're afraid that you'll never be able to stop, you're afraid that deep down you're no different from the Joker. Wanna know the best part? That by letting him live to kill more, you've already sunk to his level."

That was the last straw for Batman as he quickly got up and pushed Eddie against the wall and held him off the ground. "You don't know anything!" he snarled.

"That's why you never kill the Joker or let anyone else kill him." Eddie said while keeping his cool, while the symbiote inside him was getting more hostile the more aggressive their interrogator got. "When you see the Joker you see yourself, you see your other half. The Joker doesn't care if he kills a man, woman, or child and you still believe he can be saved. I wonder just how many more people Joker's killed since you stopped people like Red Hood from killing him, how many more lives he's ruined or is planning to and yet here you are questioning us. Not to mention… is this all a game to you?"

"What was that?" Batman asked dangerously.

"Take the clown for example. How many times has he broken out already? Three times, four times? Is this all a game to you? Catching the bad guys, them escaping, killing a few hundred innocents and then you catching them again?"

"Where are you going with this?" Superman asked.

"Tell us something: is the life of a rabid animal like the Joker more important than the lives of a few hundred innocents?"

 ** _"ANSWER US!"_** he shouted after a few moments of silence, Venom's distorted voice briefly taking over and causing the League to jolt in surprise.

"No." Batman said eventually.

"Then why in God's name is he still alive?"

The majority of the League didn't answer. Batman stood out the most, for he heard those same words from Jason when he was given the choice to save the clown from death or leave him to his fate.

"That's one of the things you enjoy about being a hero, don't you? But in order to be a hero, there's always gotta be a bad guy, right? For you, the mighty 'Justice League' to play your game, a number of enemies is needed. That's the reason why you don't intend to clean up the filth that infects Gotham or any other city on Earth."

"You, the Batman, need the Joker. He completes you."

When Eddie spoke those last words, Batman finally had enough. He pulled his fist back and sent it at Eddie's face but was stopped when Diana grabbed his wrist, catching him by surprise and shocking him.

"That's enough!" the Amazonian princess yelled angrily. "Let him go!"

"Yeah, listen to your ex, rich boy." Eddie taunted. "That attitude might cost you your marriage one day, if you even get married. By the way, did we mention we kissed two of your exes already?"

Batman let out an enraged growl before dropping Eddie to the floor, while Diana stood there with an open jaw, shocked and embarrassed that Eddie gave away their secret conversation and the fact that this was _not_ a good time.

"No matter what you say, no matter what comes out of your mouth might be true, you're just another criminal." Batman growled.

"Regardless of what you think it is, you've murdered people, Eddie." Superman added. "So you'll be coming with us to face charges."

"Really?" Eddie asked in a tone of mock surprise. "What charges are we talking about?"

"Enough with the games already!" Green Lantern barked. "You killed a detective. Head twisted with a cigarette lodged in his right eye."

"He had blood on his hands." the reporter protested.

"A teacher!" Hawkgirl added. "Authorities found his body dismembered in a dumpster behind the school he worked at."

"Pedophile!" Eddie growled. "Besides, we gave the police enough evidence. Don't believe us? Go see it yourselves, unless you're… _chicken_."

Hawkgirl looked like she was about to smash the reporter's head in with her mace, but a deep glare from Diana that rivaled Batman's ordered her to stand down.

"We'll tell you one last time." the Dark Knight growled. "You don't get to decide who deserves to die."

Eddie slowly stood up as a smirk slowly formed on his lips.

"You're right. I'm not the one who decides." he said calmly before the black ooze exploded out of his body and covered him whole and bulked him up as the jagged eyes and gaping maw formed last, towering over the League.

 ** _"_ WE _ARE!"_** Venom shouted.

Green Lantern fired a beam at Venom with his ring only for the beam to blocked by a tendril that engulfed his hand. The next thing he knew he was hunched over as Venom lunged at him and kneed him in the stomach before round-housing him in the head. Venom then ducked under Hawkgirl's mace as she swung at him and then swept her legs from under her before dropping his elbow on her throat.

Black Canary opened her mouth to unleash her Canary Cry, only for it to be covered by a tendril that hoisted her into the air and slammed her into the ceiling.

The Flash came at him at top speed by punching him. To Venom, it was just an average massage.

Venom shot a tendril from his hand and wrapped it around around Flash's legs before tugging it, causing the Scarlet Speedster to fall flat on his face.

Wonder Woman and Supergirl would've helped, but two tendrils from Venom's body refrained them and pushed them out of the living room harmlessly.

Turning around, he saw Green Arrow taking his bow out and spinning an arrow with his fingers.

"As much as I like to agree with your opinions, I don't think I have a choice, big guy." Arrow said apologetically before firing the arrow at Venom, which exploded and filled the entire room with smoke, causing Arrow to lose sight of his opponent.

"Maybe I should've packed some ice arrows." he muttered, when he was suddenly pulled into the smoke with a yelp, and the sounds of punching and kicking could be heard before he was thrown out of the smoke, looking all battered before Venom jumped out right in front of Martian Manhunter.

 ** _"Tell us, Marvin. Can you read_ our _mind?"_** Venom asked, and J'onn's eyes glow red as he slowly got into Venom's mind, only to let out a gasp before collapsing to his knees, leaving him open for Venom to grab him by the neck and then throw him across the room.

 _'Mind-fuck at its finest.'_ Eddie quipped subconsciously before Superman got in front of Venom.

"You're not going anywhere except prison." Superman said.

 ** _"Great idea. Put us in prison with all the other inmates that we can eat."_** Venom said sarcastically. **_"Come on, Boy Scout. Just save yourself from further embarrassment."_**

Before he could react, Superman tackled him onto the ground before punching him in the face repeatedly until Venom caught his fist, surprising the Kryptonian to see that someone has equal strength to his.

 ** _"Oh, we're doing cheap shots now."_** Venom said gleefully.

He gave Superman a right hook in the face and pushed him off. He grabbed him by the cape and spun him around before throwing him into a wall.

 ** _"Too easy."_** Venom scoffed.

He was about to walk away when Batman stood in front of him with narrowed eyes, causing Venom to hiss distastefully.

 ** _"You think a simple stare is gonna make us surrender?"_** Venom mocked. **_"How about you try something more original?"_**

Batman responded by throwing a batarang at him, which Venom dodged by tilting his head in a swift motion. With a mighty roar, Venom charged at Batman, only for the Dark Knight to move out of the way and engage him. Punch after punch, Venom blocked every single one of them before catching his fist and then kicking him in the chest, sending him flying straight into a wall, making him grunt in pain before Venom grabbed him by the cape.

 ** _"Let's take this outside!"_** the Lethal Protector shouted before hurling the Dark Knight out the window and onto the front yard as he leapt after him.

Batman rolled out of the way, and Venom slammed into the ground, making a small crater. He snarled in annoyance and got into a battle stance.

Venom charged at Batman, only for the Dark Knight to throw several pellets at Venom's feet, which instantly encased the Lethal Protector's lower body in ice. The Caped Crusader then threw several batarangs at Venom.

In response to this, Venom held his left arm out as it transformed into a shield, which blocked the projectiles. Retracting the shield, multiple tentacles sprouted from his back and headed straight for Batman, who quickly backflipped out of the way of the attacks, though he was unable to dodge two more that struck him directly in the face and in the chest, which sent him falling to the ground.

Venom used this distraction to smash out of the ice and withdrew his tentacles before jumping on top of the Caped Crusader.

Grabbing him by the ankle, Venom began slamming Batman to the ground several times before throwing him down and then stomping on his chest.

Venom panted, knowing the Dark Knight had enough pummeling, and the Lethal Protector himself had enough with his attitude, grabbing him by the neck and hoisting him into the air.

 ** _"You've overstayed your welcome."_** he hissed before raising his clawed hand up, almost resisting the urge to finish off the pain in his and his host's ass.

 _'NO! We don't kill superheroes!'_ Eddie shouted subconsciously. _'Even if they're assholes!'_

That was when a loud, ear-splitting shriek from behind Venom forced him to drop Batman as he held onto his head, roaring in absolute pain at the frequency of the sound as tendrils shot out of his body and started whipping around erratically.

Black Canary had long since recovered and was now unleashing her famous Canary Cry on Venom, though she looked surprised at the effect it was having on the Lethal Protector.

The rest of the League looked on in equal shock as they have found a weakness for Venom.

"Keep going!" Batman shouted.

Black Canary continued her loud assault on Venom, who continued to spasm until the symbiote began to slowly writhe away, and Eddie's screaming face could be seen peeking from inside.

They just needed to keep this up until-

"POTS!"

To their surprise, Black Canary ceased her assault, allowing Venom to recover as he retracted back inside of Eddie, who panted heavily in exhaustion.

"Zatanna?" Batman asked in shock as he saw his ex, Anne, and, to their frustration, Global Tech security forces standing in front of the mansion.

"Get away from him!" Zatanna shouted.

"Zatanna, you don't understand what's happening!" Black Canary shouted, only to be silenced by a few soldiers aiming their guns at her and her teammates.

"What's happening is you're hurting him!" the magician shot back. "You're using fists instead of words to take him peacefully. Well, he's not going anywhere."

The League couldn't believe this; one of their own was defending a murderous vigilante and had sided with the very people that supported him as well.

"Step away from Mr. Brock immediately!" the commander of security shouted at the League, who slowly, but eventually, distanced themselves from Eddie, who stumbled towards his friends, while Sean stepped in front of them.

"You're relentless I'll give you that." he said. "But barging into my friend's home and assaulting him is low, even for you."

"For your information, your friend just so happens to be a murderer." Batman said, eyeing for escape routes.

The only response they got was a blank stare from the young CEO.

"You think I haven't noticed?" Sean asked dryly, shocking the majority of the League. "You want to arrest him when all he's ever done is help people?"

"You mean by killing them?" Superman questioned. "You and your company are helping a criminal!"

"You're one to talk. After all, you _always_ save your enemies from death when you could have gotten away with your hands clean, and you do nothing while innocent people die every single day because of it. So, I'm gonna have to ask you nicely to leave peacefully." Sean said as his men aimed their weapons at the League, only for Batman to throw down smoke pellets that covered the area around them so no one could see them leave.

"Dammit." One of the men said annoyed.

"Remind me to file a restraining order." Anne muttered before turning to Eddie, who was slowly recovering. "Eddie, are you alright?"

"We're fine." Eddie said. "Ears are still ringing. Probably should've brought some ear plugs."

 ** _'I change my mind. Do not mate with that singer.'_** Venom hissed.

"Eddie?" the two froze as they saw Zatanna standing behind them with a look of shock. "What's going on?"

 ** _'Busted.'_** Venom blurted out, and Eddie sighed in defeat.

"Alright, let's just get inside and we'll tell you everything."

* * *

 **The Watchtower**

"I can't believe she'd turn on us." the Flash said, bummed out that Zatanna had helped Venom avoid capture.

"I can't believe it either." Manhunter said in the same dejected voice. "But we provoked someone considered close to her without knowing it first."

"At least we were able to find Venom's weakness." said Batman as he and the rest of the League finally recovered from their little fight with Venom. Well, Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl recovered since Wonder Woman and Supergirl weren't harmed at all.

"Then we need to come up with a proper strategy before Venom strikes again." Green Lantern suggested.

"I wouldn't advise it. Do you really want a multi-billion dollar corporation sic the entire government on you?" asked Black Canary.

"NO!" Flash protested, not even wanting to deal with the government again.

"Why did he only restrain you two?" J'onn asked Supergirl and Wonder Woman.

"Neither of us provoked him, so he wanted us out of the way rather than actually harm us." said Wonder Woman.

"Still, it was our fault." Supergirl added. "We kept pushing Eddie in the wrong direction. And he snapped."

"For that matter, Diana, can you explain what Eddie said about you?" Superman asked suspiciously as the League had their eyes on the Amazon warrior, who sighed, knowing there was no way out of this.

"Well, we met the morning after you sent us to find Venom, and we talked about you guys, apparently." she explained.

"Don't tell me!" Superman said in disbelief.

"He told me why Venom, better yet, why _they_ acted the way they did around you." she said firmly. "They're doing their best to keep people safe without asking for anything in return."

"That still doesn't excuse him from killing people." Batman growled.

"And that doesn't excuse _you_ from attacking him!" Diana barked back. "As Supergirl said, we kept pushing him too far until you forced his hand! All because you can't get over the fact that someone saved lives while we weren't around."

"Diana, you don't understand." Green Lantern spoke up.

"Oh, I understand that you all don't decide what people need." Wonder Woman cut him off. "Besides, I don't see anyone having a problem with him. He's done more good than we have, but you just don't seem to care, do you?"

The League stood shocked at her words; they knew Eddie had gotten to her head already like with Zatanna, and there was no way to put her to ease.

"You know what, I need some time off from this place." she said as she left the room before looking back one last time. "Eddie was right, he and everyone else expected more from you."

With that, Diana left the Watchtower, leaving the room in a frustrated silence.

"We need to keep a close eye on Venom." said Batman.

Arrow said with a hint of anger, "We're not helping you capture him. He had the right to snap at us, and so did Diana and Zatanna."

"I agree with Oliver, it would be best if we avoided Venom for the time being while we go over the information we've gathered." said Martian Manhunter.

"Besides, his girlfriend's a freaking lawyer, for crying out loud!" said Flash, not wanting things to escalate further after that little scene.

"It doesn't matter, he has to be stopped!" Superman growled.

"And who made you the one who can decide he needs to be?" Supergirl barked, glaring at her cousin, who had the decency to flinch, "You're not in charge of keeping the Earth safe and dictating what methods are acceptable! There's no one in the city that can or will prosecute him for what he's done now that Global Tech has him under their protection. You've always preached about acting within the law and that means you can't touch him until someone wants to and will arrest him. Anything else and you're no better than him: Just taking down someone you decide needs to be taken down regardless of the protocols and channels we normally have to go through." she finished making Superman grit his teeth and look away knowing she was right.

"For someone who claims not to be judge and jury, you guys sure do like taking the law in your own hands," Oliver added. He turned to the rest of the people on the table, "I vote we give him time to settle down. If he does something illegal, then we can act but until then, leave Eddie Brock alone. A show of hands for those who agree." A large majority raised their hands including Supergirl shocking those who hadn't raised their hands.

Batman merely turned around and said, "You're all making a big mistake, Venom is more dangerous than you think." He left the Watchtower without saying another word. An uneasy silence fell upon the rest of the League.

* * *

 **Eddie's Mansion, Living Room**

"Why?" Zatanna whispered as she, Eddie and Anne sat on the sofa.

 ** _'Go ahead. Spill it.'_** Venom urged his host.

"We were trying to protect you and everyone else close to us. I know you may not agree with what we do, but you're our friend, and we'd do anything for you." Eddie answered. "It's not just you we're trying to keep safe, it's the people that need us too."

"But why turn to this?" the magician asked. "You should be making stories on these problems we're facing."

"It's not enough." Eddie said sternly. "Before your ex came along, I tried to get a piece on the crime and corruption leaking from Gotham, but mobs and dirty cops were infesting the place back then. Even when Batman came to fix things, _nothing's_ changed. Psychopaths like the Joker kept running loose, more innocent people dying, you get where we're going."

"I don't know if I can work with this." Zatanna said as she looked to the floor.

"Zee… look at me." Eddie said, and the beautiful magician looked at the reporter to see the sincere expression on his face. "We promise, even though what we do is extreme, we won't leave you or push you away."

"How can you be sure?" Zatanna asked.

"You know how it goes: hero leaves love interest, love interest gets put in danger anyway, you know the rest." Eddie said, earning a giggle from both his girlfriends. "But we're not those kinds of heroes. We do whatever it takes to make sure no one will get hurt again."

Zatanna smiled, her trust coming back. "Thanks, Eddie. I gotta ask though, how were you able to guess Batman's real identity?"

"Oh, yeah, about that. While we were catching up yesterday, Sean told me he was able to hack into the Watchtower's computer systems from his space satellite and got enough data on our pals in tights." Eddie explained.

"You won't tell anyone, won't you?" Zatanna asked worriedly.

"I promised Diana I wouldn't, and the same would go for you." Eddie assured her, and she smiled in relief before she frowned again.

"The League probably listed me as rogue by now for siding with a killer." she said, looking down as she contemplated the consequences.

 ** _'Tell her to just quit already.'_** Venom urged his host in irritation. **_'Problem solved.'_**

"Why don't you stay here with us?" Eddie suggested. "We'll protect you, like we said."

"If it means taking down the house, then we don't have that much of a choice." Zatanna said, causing Eddie to sigh in annoyance, seeing her point.

"I got a better idea." the three turned their attention to see Sean standing outside of the living room with a duffel bag. "You saw the heavy firepower my guys carried, so you'll be safe at Global."

"Really? Thanks!" Zatanna said as she hugged Sean briefly before letting go so he could walk over to Eddie.

"You all set?" he asked as he held out the bag before Eddie stood up and took it.

"Ready." Eddie confirmed.

"I'm coming with you. My van's right outside." Anne said as she stood up. "If the League lays another hand on you, I'll be sure to sue their tight-clad asses."

 ** _'I knew we always liked girls that fight ugly.'_** Venom commented, causing Eddie to roll his eyes.

"What are we standing around for? Gotham's waiting." Eddie said, and both he and Anne exited the mansion and entered the black van.

"Good luck." Sean said as he and Zatanna waved at their friends before they drove off towards Gotham.

* * *

 **I hope this chapter makes up for the last shorter chapter, and I hoped you enjoyed the bashing Eddie gave to Batman and the subsequent beatdown Venom delivered to the Justice League, not to mention that he and Sean were able to figure out his identity thanks to the latter's company, but the rest will have to wait.**

 **In the next chapter, Eddie/Venom and Anne return to Gotham for more potential recruits for their team, while it seems that Zatanna has quit the Justice League and is given protection by Sean and his company. Meanwhile, the League is still determined to capture Venom even after all the facts and truths he gave them about their morals, while a few are hesitant to contain him, and Diana takes some time off from the team.**

 **What do you wish to see happen next? Leave a review and stay tuned for the next chapter as always. Peace out!**


	8. More Members

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Venom or Justice League. Venom is property of Marvel, Justice League is property of DC, and Sean Ashburn Kruger and Global Tech belong to Dragonlord0.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The drive back to Gotham was shorter than expected. Eddie was silent, while Anne had her foot on the pedal to make sure neither Batman nor any of the Justice League were following them on the way, and slowed down when they weren't, but only to decrease the speed limit.

"Think they'll back off?" Anne asked her boyfriend after a long moment of silence.

"You know how the League gets when they let a bad guy get away." Eddie scoffed. "Besides, you should've seen the looks on their faces when we grilled the rich boy in front of them."

 ** _'Should've said more about planning on getting laid with an Amazon and a magician.'_** Venom chuckled sinisterly.

"Yeah, and risk being torn apart by Boy Scout and Rich Boy." Eddie commented sarcastically as he pictured the scenario.

Anne chuckled. "Figured as such. I don't think even a restraining order is enough to make them stay away."

Eddie's phone went off before the reporter quickly answered it and put it on speaker.

 _"Hey, just got Zatanna comfortable with Global."_ Sean said. _"Are you guys in Gotham yet?"_

"We just made it." Anne said. "Just enough time to get the League off our backs until they come looking for us."

"It's gonna be a problem now that they know how to beat us." Eddie pointed out.

 _"Don't sweat it."_ Sean assured him. _"Look in the bag."_

With a raised eyebrow, Eddie moved to the backseat towards the duffel bag and opened it.

What he saw caught him off guard.

Inside were stacks of hundreds of dollars, along with some clothes.

 ** _'Goody. More dough for a lifetime supply of chocolate.'_** Venom mused.

"Good idea. Bribe our way out and get our asses thrown into Blackgate or Arkham!" Eddie said sarcastically, hissing the last of his sentence.

 ** _'That's not a bad idea, actually.'_** Venom, sincerity in his tone. **_'We can tear that place apart just as we promised.'_**

 _"Check the bottom."_ Sean said with annoyance in is voice.

Sighing, Eddie moved the money and the clothes apart, until he saw a small red device with a button in the center that was almost the size of Eddie's palm.

 _"That there is the Sonic Nullifier."_ Sean explained. _"Think of it as a tiny mute button."_

 ** _'Finally, a way to block out the racket!'_** Venom exclaimed.

"How long did it take for you to make this?" Anne asked.

 _"Right after I sent Eddie to his new home, I got my scientists to work on a way to counter Venom's vulnerability to ultrasonics."_ Sean said. _"That little gizmo forms a barrier around the user's body that even the Canary Cry can't break through. Tests were positive, though a few volunteers were left with ringing ears. They're fine by the way."_

"Okay, so how do we put this doohickey on?" Eddie asked as he looked for anything to attach it to himself

 _"Just hold onto it, and your ears will be protected with a push of that little button."_ Sean answered. _"In the meantime, try to find more guys for our club."_

"Who do you think is next?" Anne asked.

"I want you guys to find the Red Hood." Sean instructed. "He's got one hell of a history with the Dark Knight. He's hiding out in an old apartment, so I'm sending you the coordinates."

"Got it. We'll call you back." Anne said as she drove off towards their destination to their new recruit.

* * *

 **Diana Prince's Apartment, Metropolis**

Diana, out of costume, let out a groan of irritation as she plopped onto her bed. Apparently, the stress of seeing her teammates, with the exception of Oliver and Kara, ignore the good Eddie or Venom had done for the public in favor of bringing him to "justice" was too much for her to handle that she needed her mind off of the League.

"What will it take for them to see the big picture?" she muttered.

It was no wonder the League picked her to become an "inspiration" to the public for her skills as an Amazon warrior. She couldn't even imagine the number of times she had to put up with their ramblings on how even the worst criminals deserve a second chance, and how killing makes them no better than their enemies.

The same would go for Shayera and John; both fought for their worlds and people and had taken lives in battle to ensure the safety of innocents. Now they were as blind as Diana once was, but they'll understand soon enough with more prodding as Venom had done both her and Kara.

Perhaps, once she's cooled off, she'll find a way to convince them.

If they believe her.

* * *

 **Gotham City**

Inside a worn down apartment room there is a young man with black hair gazing out the window as he watched the sun slowly go down. The man wore a grey kevlar that had a red bat emblem on the front, a brown leather jacket, black domino mask, and a red helmet with two eyes on the front that was currently being held in his hands. With a grimace, he placed the helmet over his head, causing the eyes to glow white, before grabbing his trusty twin pistols from the table, locked and loaded.

Just what he needed for work tonight.

After locking up his small room, the man walks out the building from the back and heads towards his motorcycle. The streets were empty this time of night for good reason, but hardly anyone came to these streets at all. Just before he hops onto his ride, he hears a voice calling his name.

"Red Hood?"

The man, now known as the deadly vigilante, Red Hood, turns around to see a smiling Eddie Brock and Anne Weying walk over to his location.

"Eddie Brock, I presume?" Red Hood asked the reporter.

"In the flesh." Eddie said, after using the coordinates Sean gave them to locate this dangerous man to persuade him to join the upcoming team.

"Look, I'm not in the mood for an interview. So how about you take your story someplace else before it gets dark." Red Hood said. "That's when things get nasty around these parts of Gotham."

Anne puts her palm in the air as a means to stop him from talking, "That's alright, Hood. We're here to offer you something. You know Sean Ashburn Kruger?"

"The kid who owns Global Tech?" Hood asked. "Yeah, I know him. Hell, I even met him once. Says he's a big fan of my… work."

"Well, surprise, so are we." Anne said, and she could sense Hood raising an eyebrow underneath his helmet.

"We're putting together a team of vigilantes of your profession to do a better job at protecting people than the Justice League, and we'd thought you'd be a perfect candidate." Eddie explained.

Normally, Hood was not one for being a team player, as he had once led the Outlaws, consisting of himself, Red Arrow, now going by Speedy, and former Titan Starfire, before they went their separate ways, leaving their leader solo once more, but hearing of a similar team gained his interest.

"What's in it for me?" Red Hood asked.

"We give you protection, a place to say, and some money after some kills." Anne listed off. "Heard you tried getting shots at the Joker a few times, but everyone knows Batman won't let anyone do it, and we have a means of making sure he won't get in your business again."

It was true. One attempt after the other, the Batman would save the Joker from death as always and ship him back to the revolving door that is Arkham Asylum to give him the "help" he needs.

Hood didn't want to admit it, but Eddie sure had a way with words.

"What do you say?" At this, Eddie extended his hand, and the black substance began to morph it into a monstrous looking claw, "Do _we_ have a deal?"

Red Hood looked at the black, monstrous hand for a moment before finally taking it, and both hands shook.

"Jason Todd. Big fan."

 ** _'I'm liking this guy already.'_** Venom spoke with interest.

Eddie's phone rang, to which he quickly answered and put on speaker for all three (or four) of them to hear.

 _"Eddie, did Hood accept the invite?"_ Sean asked.

"Good to go." Jason spoke up.

"Okay, bud. Who's next?"

"Killer Frost, Cheetah, Killer Croc, and El Diablo." Sean answered. "They're still holed up in Belle Reve, and I have their release forms ready."

"Belle Reve?" Eddie asked in surprise. "It'll take days to get to Louisiana! We can't afford that much time!"

"Leave it to Zee." Sean assured them. "She just got… acquainted with the other recruits and has been throwing question after question for their presence. I'll tell her more when we get there."

"Got it. Good luck." Eddie said before hanging up, prompting them all to enter Anne's car to leave for Eddie's apartment.

* * *

 **Belle Reve Penitentiary, Louisiana**

The prison meant to house the biggest and toughest metahuman criminals stood tall as the guards made their rounds.

Ever since the disbandment of Cadmus, which had once recruited a few of the facility's inmates for their potential Suicide Squads, the prison was more than willing to cooperate with Global Tech to put down the most dangerous super-criminals that are too dangerous to keep alive, while letting the rest that have a chance at a normal life complete the rest of their sentences or be let out on parole by handing them to the company to finally cure a few of their conditions.

"Why are we here again?" Zatanna asked in concern as she and Sean walked through the halls with the security guard ahead of them, ignoring the stares directed at both of them from the inmates.

Just an hour ago, she was shocked to find assassins Deathstroke and Deadshot, metahuman criminals Livewire and Volcana, and tech genius T. O. Morrow, lounging in Sean's office, she decided to investigate until she was told to wait. What was more shocking was that he handed the director of Belle Reve the release forms for selected inmates. Now was the perfect time to get some answers.

"You know those Suicide Squads one Amanda Waller used to employ? This time it's different." Sean answered. "For once, these guys will put all their skills and powers to good use. Killer Frost will focus her bloodlust on those who deserve it. Dr. Minerva's skills as a former geneticist will be useful once I give her a position as one of my newest most trusted scientists in Global Tech, and her skills as Cheetah will play a bigger role for this team in regards to combat and medical purposes. El Diablo will double the firepower Volcana has provided, pun intended. Lastly, Croc's skills as a mercenary and smart thinking will double the heavy duty Venom will provide."

"I don't know about this, but once the League catches on, they'll try to shut you down." Zatanna said with concern in her voice.

Sean scoffed. "They're not above the government as they are the law, that's just downright arrogance. One wrong move towards me, Eddie, or Global, and they're kissing their capes goodbye. Besides, this is something these, uh, so-called 'convicts' can't refuse. No blackmail, no bribes, no shady deals, just good old persuasion."

"What makes you think they'll be willing to join?" Zatanna asked. "There's been a few in here that tried to kill us several times."

"They're not evil, they just had it rough or had no choice. More importantly, they don't kill people for amusement like the Joker, and scum like him don't deserve a second chance." Sean said firmly. "In fact, I even heard Croc helped Green Arrow's ex-sidekick out of his depression once. He may look like a monster outside, but the guy's still human inside. Same can be said for Cheetah and Poison Ivy."

"What about El Diablo?" Zatanna asked. "I heard he surrendered himself after killing his wife and children a few years ago."

"It was an accident." Sean said. "Besides, the guy was angry, and I know angry when I see it. When I saw the news, I saw the look of grief and remorse in his eyes as he handed himself over to the cops. It's not a good thing for people like him with powers some call 'the Devil's gift'."

A solemn silence passed as Zatanna processed Sean's words. It was true, most would call these powers something the Devil gave them, many metahumans fear being exposed for good reasons. Humans kill what they don't understand or they weaponize it for their own purposes.

The next thing that came on her mind was that it was just like her conversation with Anne, except it was in more perfect detail, and it made even more sense than what the League would always say, and she had no choice but to agree with his words.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Zatanna said as they reached Louise Lincoln's cell.

"Hey, Frosty." the guard said as he punched in the code to the cell before it opened. "Got some visitors for you."

"Another suicide mission, I take it?" The voice said, amusement clear in her tone.

"Looks like prison hasn't dulled your sharp tongue, Louise." Sean commented as he walked into the room, hands in his pockets. "Also to answer your question, the Squad days are long since over."

Once completely inside Sean was able to get a good look at his soon to be group member. She was wearing a blue one piece with a six-sided star design with a blue core. She had blue gloves that went up beyond her elbows that had white fringes at the top as well as knee length matching heeled boots. Her light blue hair maintaining its health as well as her two strands on either side of her head.

"Great. You." Killer Frost ( _Assault on Arkham_ version) scoffed before turning to Zatanna. "Huh, and you decided to drag Houdini's little girl with you. Here to pull a magic trick to boost Global's image? Not interested, so get the hell outta here."

"Talk about having a cold attitude." Zatanna quipped, though she was seething inside at the little insult, while Sean just groaned at the magician's pun. Seriously, who came up with that crap?!

"Actually, _you're_ the one getting outta here." Sean said, and Louise raised an eyebrow, whether she was offended at her insult thrown back at her, or curious as to what he meant.

"Really? Why does _the_ Sean Asburn Kruger want to help a big time 'convict' like me?" She sits down on the hard bed and crosses her legs while leaning back.

"I can tell you're not that bad." Sean answered. "I know you get a thrill out of your crimes and how you love killing things, but barely anyone got hurt from your sprees. I'm saying, what if you got the rush from killing those that _really_ piss you and the rest of society off? Say, those who slaughter, rape, torture, or cause more destruction for their own personal gain or sick amusement. Does that sound like a thrill to you?"

Louise had a look of surprise at his words. She did get a thrill out of her crime sprees, but hearing people who did those kinds of things made her feel a little sick. Like all other villains, she also found the Joker to be the most disgusting thing to walk the earth, and she knew Sean was right.

"I get it, I'm not like those people. If you even call them people." Louise admitted. "But what I don't get is why you're really here."

"We're forming our own team to do what the Justice League can't, but we need more members in case they overpower us. Which is where you come in."

Louise sat back with a blank look on her face as she stared down the CEO, a small smirk now adorning her already beautiful face.

"What's in it for me?" She asks. She wasn't about to become a hero out of the goodness of her heart after all.

"We bail you out of here, for one. We'll give you a place to stay and food to keep you fed, give you protection from the League, plus you'll be going on missions where you'll get to kill those we tell you to and get paid in the end. Then one day you'll be seen as a hero." he explained.

She thought about it for a moment. "How will I get protection from the JLA?" She asked him.

"Anyone working for Global Tech has complete immunity from the Justice League… and they know it. However they might just violate the law they love upholding so much just to shut us down… and I can't wait for that to happen. Still, this team will work to save this world from scum like the Joker and others like him. You, on the other hand, have a chance to be something much more."

That actually wasn't a bad deal, to be honest. She'll have a place to live, food to be fed, still get to do basically what she does now, have the League off her ass, and get paid altogether? This could be fun.

"Alright, deal. Now get me out of here."

"Good choice." Sean said as Louise walked out of the cell before following him and Zatanna to the next cell.

His next recruit he had met before: Barbara Ann Minerva, aka Cheetah (design from _Justice League: Doom_ ), the famous animalistic fighter and foe of Wonder Woman. Sean just hoped to God she and Diana would get along.

"Well…?" Sean asked, asking for an answer for the question he asked a year before.

"Can you really change me back?" She asked.

"Not completely… my guys at the labs will slightly reverse your condition so you can switch back and forth. That's the best I can do… for now. Will you join my team?" He asked.

"Deal." she answered, and her cell opened too. "Thank you, Sean. Also, I'm sorry for breaking into your building just to see you a year ago."

"Water under the bridge." joked Sean. "Plus, you shouldn't be thanking me, you should thank Eddie."

 _That_ got their attention. Louise turned to him and asked for clarification. "Eddie? As in Eddie Brock?" How on Earth had he managed to talk a reporter into joining this group?

"Would you believe me if my best friend was host to a symbiotic alien life form that bites the heads off of psychopaths or tears them limb from limb?" Sean asked, as both metahumans stood slack-jawed since he had just revealed Venom's secret identity to them. "I mean, he's the one who came up with the idea of forming this team. He'll love you girls, and I'm sure you'll love him as much as Zatanna here does. Did I mention he's also in a relationship with a hot lawyer?"

"Did you just blurt out mine and Anne's relationship with Eddie?!" Zatanna hissed, slightly embarrassed and hoping not to attract the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

"Point is, he understands you as much as I do, so you'll get along just fine." Sean said, ignoring Zatanna's question, while the two metahuman criminals stared shockingly. "Plus, he's a real charmer like I am, with a little pervy devil on his shoulder every now and then, if you know I'm talking about."

Killer Frost and Cheetah, though shocked at hearing Zatanna and another woman they didn't know being in a relationship with the man who requested for their release, began to smirk.

"When I see him, I'm gonna give him an apology for not being a fangirl." Killer Frost admitted, obviously showing sudden interest in Eddie, with Cheetah having the same thoughts.

Sean made his way to the cell of the third recruit. This one having swam all the way from Gotham into the bayou of New Orleans, just a few miles from Belle Reve's doorstep.

Fitting.

"Waylon! Have you thought about my offer?"

Killer Croc (design from _The Batman_ ) gave a toothy smile. "Get me outta here, Kruger. And you got Killer Croc." He said in his Cajun tone of voice, and the guard opened the cell.

Sean had one more to visit. The heavily tattooed man wearing a white tank top, silver sweatpants and white sneakers sat against the wall with a ball of fire that took the form of a woman dancing gracefully about in his palm as he looked on with a solemn look on his face.

"Mr. Santana?" the man looked up at the young CEO as he clenched his fist, snuffing out the flame before standing up.

"Lemme guess, you want to sign me up for your program." Chato Santana, aka El Diablo, stated. "I'll pass. I'm done with that life."

Sean sighed, knowing this would be a tricky one. "Let's not jump to conclusions here, Chato. I know you got the whole criminal underworld to fear you when you ruled the streets, but now the same criminals are running amok ever since you've turned to pacifism, and only you can help stop them."

"I told you I'm done with the killing." Chato said firmly. "That's not what my _chica y niños_ wanted."

"Isolating yourself from the world and living the rest of your life in grief is not what they wanted." Sean countered. "They wanted you to be a part of something greater than yourself, and this team is the only way to redeem yourself. To leave your old life behind. There's people out there who are causing death and chaos as part of their own sick games like the Joker, and the League's too afraid to put an end to both of those things. If you join this team, you can make sure no one goes through the same thing you did, and one day, you'll be forgiven. It's your choice, not mine."

Zatanna and the other three recruits listened to every word Sean spoke. She had to admit, Sean and Eddie were better motivators than any of the Justice League. Even Frost, Cheetah and Croc were impressed at his words.

Chato, meanwhile, was looking at the floor, a conflicted look plastered on his face as he thought over Sean's offer. Yes, he hurt and killed people in his early criminal career, but he didn't do it randomly or for laughs like the Joker does, and such people like him had no place in this world. Chato drew a line in his career, but he knew he crossed it after that fateful argument, and now, after what Sean said, he knew he would make sure no one else would cross that line like he did, and so he looked back at Sean and gave his answer.

"Where do we start?"

* * *

 **Eddie's Apartment, Gotham City**

Anne parked her van outside of the building as she, Eddie and Jason exited the vehicle towards the apartment's entrance.

The three entered the building, walking up the stairs to the second floor before entering Eddie's room, which was still in the same condition before he left to meet Sean.

"Home sweet home." Eddie mused.

 ** _'Hope there's still some chocolate chips while we were gone.'_** Venom added.

"Nice man cave. Wish we had less emphasis on 'cave'." Jason said as he removed his red helmet, and Eddie and Anne are taken aback at the sight of the vigilante's domino mask, which looked all too familiar to them.

"That mask… _you're_ Robin?" Anne asked in shock, having heard about the events of the Joker killing the second Robin a few years ago.

"Was." Jason said bitterly as he frowned the moment Anne brought up the name of his former hero identity.

 ** _'I smell backstory.'_** Venom mused.

"How'd you come back?" Eddie asked.

"A little dip in Ra's al Ghul's Fountain of Youth will do that to you." Jason said. "Aside from the occasional angry bursts and edginess."

"Okay, the Joker killed you, Ra's al Ghul brought you back, and you decided to kill the clown by tearing through Gotham's criminal underworld before Batman stopped you. Is that the whole story?" Eddie listed off.

"How'd you guess?" Jason asked as he sat on the sofa.

"Sean's been keeping tabs on your mentor and his pals through one of his satellites. Identities, backgrounds, powers, all that." Eddie explained.

"Everything?" Jason asked.

"Everything. Now that we have a little glimpse of your history with the Dark Knight himself, I think that makes you an important asset to this team." Anne said.

Jason smirked. "Then I can't wait to see the look on the old man's face when he finds out I've joined a band of loose-cannon heroes. That reminds me, who do we have?"

Eddie and Anne looked to each other, nervous that a vigilante would flip out if they mentioned recruiting a few members of the Justice League's rogues' gallery.

 ** _'Come on. I'm sure he wouldn't mind working with some trigger-happy badasses like him.'_** Venom urged his host eagerly.

"Tell us something: do you believe in second chances?" Eddie asked.

Jason raised an eyebrow at such a question, but answered nonetheless. "Not in those who live to see the world burn."

"Figured as such, but we do." Eddie countered, to which Jason shot a glare at him. "This team is full of people that have gone against the Justice League a couple of times, except they still have a sense of morality in them. A few of them have killed people, but none of them are happy about it. Most of them even made sure nobody was hurt in their careers. Have you ever thought about that?"

"That's what I told Batman years ago." Jason spoke. "I told him we weren't talking about Two-Face, Riddler, or Clayface. We were talking about scum who ruin lives or kill innocents for a cheap laugh like the Joker or Scarecrow."

"Exactly!" Eddie beamed in agreement. "That's why we're alike. We see good in people with low body counts or none at all, while we see the worst in people who can't be helped anymore after a dozen chances, but none of our 'heroes' seem to listen. Do you get what we're saying now?"

"That by killing the vermin that plagues Gotham, the Big Leagues will see things differently and back off?" Jason asked before smirking. "I don't see a problem at all."

"You won't regret this." Eddie said with a smile before making his way to the kitchen. "Make yourself at home."

Eddie stopped at the table where several weekly newspapers from the _Gotham Gazette_ were sprawled all over. Most of them were focused on Venom's activities, and victims with huge criminal records ranging from murder and rape were listed next to the picture of Venom lifting up a crook, preparing to eat him.

 ** _'I remember that guy.'_** Venom said. **_'I'm still dissolving bits of his skull in my system.'_**

"Already making a name for yourself?" Eddie looked back to see Anne placing a hand on his shoulder with an impressed look on her face.

"Gotham's becoming safer now that someone's doing the job properly." Eddie smirked before looking back at the papers, coming across one that described the Joker's capture at the hands of Batman just two months ago, and the list of people that were killed in the insane clown's spree, about fifteen, making him frown. "But we still have to take out the trash littered all over the city."

 ** _'We'll get the clown someday.'_** Venom assured his host. **_'We'll make sure the Bat won't stop us next time we meet.'_**

"So… who do you think is next?" Anne asked.

"Gotta be somebody else who hates clowns besides us." Eddie said with a shrug. "Probably someone who's on Global Tech's side to clean up the filth, of the figurative and literal kind, to say the least."

"You want the tree hugger to join next?" Jason asked from the living room with a raised eyebrow before shrugging. "Fine by me."

"Tree hugger? As in Poison Ivy?" Anne asked.

"We both have our reasons for hating the Joker. She hates him for how she treats his self-proclaimed girlfriend, and I hate him for killing me." Jason pointed out. "I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

"Now that you mention it, Global Tech did promise to clean up the pollution from all around the world. It even won a few lawsuits against rival companies that almost ruined the environment, of course Ivy would join." Anne said thoughtfully before turning to Eddie. "Eddie, remember that plant you used to have back in your old apartment in SF?"

"Yeah. I just feel bad I had to throw it away." Eddie said with a look of guilt. He wasn't that much of a gardener, it was no wonder his old plant rotted away so quickly.

"You could learn a thing or two about gardening from Ivy." Anne leaned closer so she could whisper into Eddie's ear. "And maybe grow something much more."

 ** _'There's Annie. Kinky as always.'_** Venom hissed eagerly, before Eddie came to his senses.

"Alright, you guys load my stuff into the car." Eddie said as he walked out the room. "We've got some flowers to water."

Eddie stopped in his tracks as he looked back at Jason and Anne, who looked at him weirdly.

"Was that a figure of speech, or…" Jason asked awkwardly.

"I was just making a statement. Thought it was fitting." Eddie said with a nervous smile before turning away. "Dammit, V."

 ** _'What? I thought you said we'd like Ivy.'_** Venom snickered as his host exited the building. **_'I just hope she doesn't give us an itch only_ she _has to scratch.'_**

"Less perving and more searching." Eddie hissed as he made his way to unknown parts of Gotham in search of his next recruit.

* * *

 **Sorry it took so long. I keep getting caught up on college stuff. I have a life, you know? Anyway, the next chapter will focus on the long awaited meeting between Eddie/Venom and Poison Ivy. This part's tricky. Not just the chapter, but the title itself. Right now I have two titles, which are _Venom and Poison_ and _Toxic Relationship_. Give a vote on which one I should choose and why, or you can give me an idea of another title in the reviews. Stay tuned for more!**


	9. A Toxic Relationship

**After a whole month of consideration and editing, I decided to go with the title for this chapter, A Toxic Relationship. The original title, Venom and Poison, will be referenced in this chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Venom jumped across rooftops, climbed up some tall buildings before leaping off of them and using a tendril from his arm to swing himself forward into the air. He shot out two arm tendrils to grab a nearby lamp post and swung himself straight up onto a tall rooftop, perching himself on the edge of it.

 _'The Botanical Gardens should be around here somewhere.'_ Eddie muttered.

 ** _"Typical for someone who controls plants."_** Venom mused.

Earlier, Eddie had called Sean for the coordinates to Poison Ivy's location. The young CEO was already in Central City with Zatanna to see if Captain Cold or any of his gang of Rogues would be willing to join. Deathstroke was sent to Star City to fetch Malcolm Merlyn while Deadshot was sent to New York to fetch Black Spider.

Eddie couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that part, as he heard there was another spider swinging around in New York, but he'll come back to that.

 ** _"What makes you think she'll be willing enough?"_** Venom asked.

 _'Sean always said Global was working to stop pollution. Plus, I've busted a few companies that done a lot of damage to nature, she'll definitely join.'_ Eddie said before Venom leapt off the building, resuming the search for the next recruit.

* * *

 **5 minutes later**

Eddie strode through the entrance of the Gotham Botanical Gardens, a cautious look on his face.

"Remember what we talked about back in San Quentin?" Eddie asked his other.

 ** _'Right, it's a 'you' thing, not a 'we' thing.'_** Venom answered as his host stared at the building.

The Gardens themselves had been abandoned for many years, due to a sharp drop in tourism for the city. Since no one had ever bothered to demolish the building, it was simply kept closed to the public by the local authority. With no one around, this gave the plants more time to grow and eventually overtook the entire building.

Taking a deep breath, Eddie entered the building.

Everywhere he looked, plants ranging from flowers, bushes, roots and other forms of plant life several times the size of what they naturally should be surrounded the area. It always amazed Eddie as to how big they could grow, but he focused on the task at hand.

He arrived at the centre of the building, taken up by a large bulb that was several times larger than Eddie himself.

The reporter looked around puzzled. He was sure his next recruit would be exactly where he was standing, so he decided to do the _wise_ thing.

"Housekeeping!" he called out.

As Eddie said those words, he yelped as large vines bursted through the floor before pinning his arms to his sides. He felt the floor under him shake a little and the large bulb behind him started to vibrate and wriggle, as if it was about to jump off from its stem. Eddie watched in surprise as the front petals of the flower burst open, revealing to him a welcome sight.

Sitting on a throne within the plant, was the lovely eco-terrorist Pamela Isley, aka Poison Ivy.

Eddie never thought he'd meet Poison Ivy in person, but she was drop-dead _hot_.

She had all the features a supermodel would kill for: waist length crimson red hair, green eyes, and a medium shade of green colored skin. She had long legs with small vines wrapping around her upper thighs, wide hips, a thin waist and breasts that were at least D-Cups, possibly even DD-Cups giving her a perfect hourglass figure. She was wearing a red button-up shirt that only has two of the mid level buttons buttoned showing off a fair amount of her cleavage and her entire smooth stomach. She also had on what appeared to be panties made out of leaves, leading Eddie to believe that her bra is also likely made of leaves… if she were wearing one. He wasn't able to tell in the dimly lit room (design from _Batman: Arkham Asylum_ because it's the hottest one yet). She gazed at her guest with her piercing green eyes, a seductive grin crossing her lips.

"Eddie Brock… what a surprise." the seductive eco-terrorist greeted in a sultry tone.

"Uh… a fan, I presume?" Eddie asked, doing his best to sound polite despite the current situation he's in.

"Very much so." Ivy stood up from her throne with a sultry grin and a chuckle, various flowers blooming with every step she took and long vines following her every move. She smiled, standing in front of Eddie and looking over his form and his flustered expression. "You helped save my babies from those filthy corporations that would harm them for their own gains. I wanted to meet you myself, but it seems you have met me first."

 ** _'I like this girl already.'_** Venom said with interest, but Eddie ignored him, though he was unsure whether he should be flattered or freaked out that one of his fans was a sexy, yet dangerous super criminal.

Ivy leaned forward, pressing her impressive bust against Eddie's chest and ran her finger along his jawline. "So, what brings you to my humble abode? An interview, perhaps?"

Eddie was about to answer when he noticed that the atmosphere was thick with a foreign scent which he was sure wasn't there before and it seems to be originating from Poison Ivy herself. He felt his senses dulling for a few moments before he suddenly came back.

 ** _'Don't get too steamy just yet. We have an offer to make, remember?'_** Venom hissed.

Eddie slowly nodded, making a mental note to himself to thank Venom for his immunity to toxins later before facing the seductive eco-terrorist standing before him.

"Well, that and… I came to see you because… you're something special. Something more." Eddie breathed out, pretending to be under the effects of the pheromones.

"Really? How so?" Ivy asked with a smile. It wasn't often that she was complimented besides when she used her pheromones on someone.

"I can tell you're not like the other crazies at Arkham. I know you're trying to raise a sort of public awareness to help the environment in some way. I've taken down the very companies you tried to take down when you failed because, well, I'm a nature fan too. You could say I kinda helped you out. I even got a full page spread on you back home." Eddie said sheepishly.

"That was all for me? You shouldn't have." Ivy said with that grin ever so present, though Eddie couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or genuinely thankful.

"Well, I'm just a big fan of your work, Pam." Eddie said. Ivy's lustful stare turned to a look of genuine surprise. "I read about your past studies on plant life and I realized how much you loved the Earth, which was why I decided to bust those corporations you mentioned earlier to help you. That's why we're alike in a way, but the only difference is you choose to waste your power for the wrong reasons."

Ivy's curious look quickly shifted into a glare as she leaned back and crossed her arms. "Well what would you expect? I was dealt a bad hand."

"True, but that doesn't justify you taking the law into your hands and killing people, Ivy. I mean, I understand your love for nature, and I appreciate the fact that you're fighting to keep her alive, but the way you're doing it is not helping your cause at all." said Eddie, knowing the woman's history in wanting to get things done and her way trying to go about it were not going to work.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded. As far as she's concerned, she is getting rid of the ones responsible for nature's destruction.

"You may have killed the people that hurt nature, but what about the ones who worked under them to earn money to cater for their families? Mothers and children waiting for their husbands/fathers to come home safely. Grandparents waiting for their kids and grandkids. Have you ever taken the time to think about that?" asked Eddie.

Ivy opened her mouth to retort but stopped in her thoughts, all she wanted was to stop the instigators of destroying plant life and that was it, she never did give much thought about the aftereffects and would shrug it off. But now the thought of her breaking up happy families made her feel no different from her sworn enemies, perhaps it was why Batman and his partners do everything to stop her, recalling his anger when he saw the people she had turned into bark and suspected he personally knew one of them well.

"…so what would you have me do then, let them continue to harm nature?" she asked quietly.

"I'm not telling you to do that, but I suggest you not make yourself out to be a psycho when it comes to protecting nature. The companies that dump toxic waste, pollute the air, and the water this planet gives are marketing off your actions. All they have to do is make a big enough smoke screen surrounding your attacks and paint themselves as the ever tragic companies being hurt by some crazed lunatic with a radical hippy complex. Your reasons, no matter how well-meaning, are swept under the rug by some shady media they give funding to, and keep the general masses in the dark. The best way to fix the planet is to use the media to tell your story and show the world what these companies have been doing for years. What they're trying to hide. How this could hurt the next generation and the generation after that. Make them question if they want their own generation to live in a world where the air is so disgusting it hurts to breathe where it was once clean enough to take deep breaths without consequence. Where the water you drink has to go through countless filtration systems where it was once clean enough to have straight from the tap of the faucet. Show them the painful truth without the crazy looking plants you make in the background, which are hogging all the attention, and I'm sure your voice will be heard on the matter when it counts." said Eddie since he knew all about perceptions and how to get people to see things from his or someone else's perspective when necessary.

"This is a lot to take… but with what I've done in the past, I doubt they would listen," the eco-terrorist looked unsure of herself.

"I get you, but you can give it a try. That's why I feel you shouldn't be treated like a criminal, you just needed to follow the right path." Eddie said, feeling the vines softening their grip as Ivy took all this in.

"And what makes you think that I wouldn't follow your advice?" asked Ivy as she stared at Eddie.

"I can tell you're still a good person, you just didn't have a good start, but there's still the chance of living better than before. All you have to do is trust us." said Eddie.

As Ivy continued to stare at the reporter in front of her, there was a feeling growing in her chest that urged her to trust him, for she could see the truthful look in his eyes. However at the same time she remembered all the times she had trusted someone to help her only for them to betray her in some fashion.

"You don't actually believe I'm like those amateur reporters wanting to get a big scoop for themselves, do you?" Eddie asked.

"I've trusted people, but most of them would go back on some of our deals." Ivy said as she looked away, leaving both of them in silence.

"You gonna do it, aren't you?"

Ivy's head perked up as she stared at the reporter in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"You're gonna kiss me and watch as I choke to death, is that it?" Eddie assumed. "You can trust me. Just try it and see for yourself. We promise you, we'll never do anything to hurt you like the people who used you. You can believe in us."

Ivy's stomach was fluttering. The one person who actually understood her motives was _goading_ her into poisoning him. But he was going to be truthful to the end.

It was then that she made her choice and leaned towards Eddie and spoke just two words.

"Thank you."

And crashed her lips into his.

After a short second, she pulled away from him. She tensed up anxiously as she waited for him to begin suffocating from her poison, but he merely stood there in her vines with a warm, yet flustered smile. She looked at him in shock.

"That wasn't so hard wasn't it?" Eddie asked.

"How can you be alive?! The poisons could have killed you!" she yelled in shock, yet she was relieved that the only person who understood her was still breathing.

"One of the perks of having an alien inside of you." Eddie said with a shrug.

The black mass began to engulf his body again. As it reached his waist, the vines sensed the mass before letting go of their captive, who dropped to the ground harmlessly as the mass fully formed into Venom, who loomed over Ivy.

"Venom. Should've known." Ivy scoffed. "I suppose you're here to bite my head off as well."

 ** _"If we wanted to eat you, we would've done so if you fed innocents to your children. Besides, we're not vegetarian."_** Venom mused as he retracted back into Eddie.

"Gotta be honest with you, dying from being kissed by a hot plant lady wouldn't be such a bad way to go, but you didn't give us a chance to hear our proposal." Eddie reasoned.

"How do you insist on helping me?" Ivy asked with a look of confusion.

"Would you believe me if I was friends with the CEO of Global Tech?" Eddie asked, causing Ivy to look at him in shock.

She never thought that _the_ Eddie Brock was friends with _the_ Sean Ashburn Kruger, who in turn also shared the same goals with hers, which was why it was the only corporation she had no intention of attacking.

Before she could ask, her shock deepened as the tendril with Venom's face emerged from Eddie's shoulder.

 ** _"We know what you're thinking. You still have that Bat problem, don't you?"_** Venom mused with a grin, with Ivy thinking the symbiote had read her mind or something. **_"Surprise, we've got that problem as well with the entire League."_**

"Well, that's what Global Tech's for." Eddie said. "Sean's got all the good stuff to help you out."

"Really?" Ivy asked with a glimmer of hope. "Name it."

"For starters, they can keep the JLA off your back, pay you, give you a place to stay, and even give you a nice greenhouse in the backyard. Mainly the mansion Sean made for us. They even got scientists and chemists that can just help you have _real_ human kids. And you can find a good man for yourself instead of controlling or using them for once. You can still have your other powers, but that one little negative aspect of your life will be taken out of it." Eddie explained with Pamela looking shocked and yet hopeful all the same.

Judging by the tone of Eddie's voice, he meant it.

 ** _"And while you're at it, you can even put your plants to good use in bed."_** Venom said gleefully.

"Hey, shut up! You're making us look bad!" Eddie scolded his symbiotic partner.

 ** _"No I'm not."_**

"Yes you are!"

 ** _"No I'm not!"_**

"We doing this again?" Eddie asked irritably, earning an amused giggle from Ivy, who took a moment to ponder the proposition given earlier.

If she worked for Global Tech, she wouldn't have to worry about the interference of the Batman or the Justice League, the company would also put their fundings into her goal to clean the earth and save nature as a whole while putting rival companies that harmed it out of business.

As for the part of being given the ability to have children once again, it would take some time, a bit of research into all things biology, and maybe a bit of her own genetic material along with what she knew about it.

And maybe that private greenhouse wouldn't be so bad after all. But she felt there was more to this deal.

"Besides, we wanna help Harley too." Eddie added. "We don't like seeing women being treated like dirt like Joker does. We can prove once and for all that that pasty son of a bitch doesn't care about her and, hey, maybe you can get a shot at tearing that bozo to pieces. She can even get a spot at Global once we fix her so the company around you won't be boring in the slightest. Sean doesn't like seeing good talent wasted."

That actually sounded good, all of it. Not just the killing the Joker part, but finally freeing her friend from the clown's influence once and for all.

"Deal." She says. She waves her hands and the plants retract, soon leaving nothing but a regular empty building.

 ** _"Now that that's settled…"_** Venom said before retracting back into Eddie and then morphing into his humanoid, muscular form. **_"We can show you that the world isn't as ugly as it looks, if you join us."_**

He stretched his large clawed hand outwards for Ivy to take. **_"Together, we can clean the earth of its true filth, as Venom and Poison."_**

At first, Ivy hesitated, but then placed her hand on Venom's, who held it tightly.

"Venom and Poison." she mused. "People are going to love this."

* * *

 **Eddie's Mansion**

Wonder Woman softly landed on the front yard before walking towards the building. She just hoped there weren't any of Global Tech's men guarding the place, otherwise that would add more hostility between the company and the Justice League.

The real reason she was here was to see if she could find anything that could at least convince her teammates to leave Eddie and Venom to their business.

She saw that the living room was repaired after the League's "visit", and she was surprised at how little effort Global Tech's people put into this.

Going back to the task at hand, she went upstairs to one of the rooms, which she guessed was Eddie's room before entering.

She looked around to see everything was well-organized before something caught her eye.

On the nightstand was a notepad, no doubt belonging to Eddie whenever he had a big scoop.

Diana knew better than to invade someone's privacy, but it could lead to anything useful, so she picked up the notepad and opened it.

She flipped through the pages, smiling as she looked through the ones centered around average citizens, frowning as she looked through the ones that were centered around interviewed criminals, coming across one in particular identified as Cletus Kasady, checking over the… colorful details of the murderer's past before moving on.

She continued to flip through the pages until she landed on one. One centered around Sean Ashburn Kruger, smiling as she looked through his past and accomplishments.

 _Sean Asburn Kruger_

 _\- born to Tom Kruger and Mara Ashburn_

 _\- father Tom came from a long lineage of patriots_

 _\- at age 11, sisters Dawn and Sarah were born_

 _\- at 14, parents killed in car crash (killer and reason currently unknown)_

 _\- all three temporarily watched by uncle Travis Halsey, Mara's brother, who would go on to win a lottery a month later_

 _\- sent crazy uncle to Stryker's after attempt on sisters' lives_

 _\- established Global Tech with lottery money shortly after_

 _\- developed advanced tech for military and medical purposes, combating pollution, etc._

 _\- turned down contracts from shady companies like LexCorp_

 _\- at 16, ordered the death sentence to psychos that escaped justice_

 _\- is currently at war with Arkham Asylum when facility refused to hand over its prisoners_

 _\- supports vigilantes with zero compunctions about killing despite distaste for violence_

 _\- has strained relationship with Justice League_

 _\- agreed to launch a new task force to do what the League won't_

Wait… what?!

Diana made a double take at the last part. A task force. She heard about those. Batman, and by extension the Justice League, faced teams such as the Suicide Squad at the wrong place at the wrong time before it was ultimately dropped by Cadmus.

But she began to think there was more to this…

What if this task force had a different mission in mind? What if it isn't programmed to fight the Justice League one day like Cadmus believed?

Taking one look at the notes, one thing came on her mind: if the League finds out about this plan, they'll try to make a move on Global Tech and shut it down along with everything Sean… or even Eddie, stood for. Even if they fail, their future attempts will put them on the public's blacklist.

And so she came to her decision.

She put the notepad in the drawer, hidden away before making her way out of the mansion. She needed to find and talk to either Sean or Eddie about this task force they're planning, but she had a feeling they wouldn't be in a good mood after what the Justice League pulled on Eddie.

* * *

 **Back in Gotham**

"And then Zatanna started freaking out when Sean said Circe was gonna join!" Eddie said with a laugh as he and Ivy stood on top of a tall building.

"I heard she turned Wonder Woman into a pig once!" Ivy laughed along. "I couldn't stop laughing in my cell for a week!"

A few seconds later, the two recover from their laughter as they looked over the city. Eddie had just explained to Ivy that he and Sean had planned on forming a task force to get their hands dirty unlike the Justice League, with the goal of killing psychopaths like the Joker and fixing the justice system the League blindly followed. Ivy seemed a bit surprised at the idea, but she decided to ask either way.

"So… what gave you the idea to form this team of yours?" Ivy asked after what seemed to be an hour of silence.

Eddie's smile faltered as a frown formed on his face, sighing as he looked over the view of the city. "I'll be honest with you. I used to look up to the Justice League, but that all came crashing down after one incident. Between that and other incidents over the past few years I've found myself coming to realize something: scum like the Joker need to die. They've been allowed to hurt people for far too long. I'm tired of families being torn apart because normal people are too weak, incompetent, or obstructive to handle these bad guys and the 'heroes' are too soft or stuck on their morals. I won't lie; I was a lot like them. I was highly idealistic, but that was because I always had people shielding me away from the harshest realities in my career. Could you imagine a world without a Joker, forcing countless people living in fear? A world without rich psychopaths ruining countless lives only to get out of their punishment with their money? I mean, how many of these same criminals have probably caused untold damage to the earth and by extension nature itself to get what they want? I'm sure the government wouldn't mind sanctioning us. Maybe a group of super powered individuals working with the government would put 'em in a good light and show they're doing _something_ to keep the public safe beyond broken promises and an endless cycle."

Ivy stared at the reporter, taking in his words. It was true, the villains she tended to work with on several occasions would end up causing more damage to nature than the companies she tried to destroy. On another serious note, it was only a matter of time before that slime Joker would try something against her her by poisoning her children if she ever attempted to take Harley from him.

She had to admit, the whole proposal sounded rather interesting. But on another note, she couldn't help but feel a shred of sympathy for the reporter.

"Now that you mention it, we _are_ that much alike." Ivy said.

"Really?" Eddie asked in surprise.

"Of course. We both had goals to help the world in reasonable fashions, but a few years of experience might as well change all that." Ivy replied. "If this is the only way to break this cycle, then I'm all for it."

 ** _'Annie was right. We do have a perfect match.'_** Venom mused after remaining silent throughout the whole conversation.

As the silence went on, Eddie's phone suddenly went off. Reaching into his pocket, he took out his phone and listened to the police scanner he had installed a year ago in his early crusade as Venom.

 _"Calling all available GCPD units. This is Commissioner James Gordon calling for immediate backup. Scarecrow and his gang are attacking the Bank of Gotham at the Kingston district and have taken hostages. The place is on lockdown and we are in need of backup. STRONG backup!"_

"Scarecrow…" Eddie muttered with hate. "What's that nightmare-worshipping rag doll up to now?"

"I know Crane. He's never interested in money or luxury. He's probably going to waste it on more chemicals for his toxins." Ivy replied as the black ooze formed around Eddie, transforming into Venom.

 ** _"Maybe we should give him a fright of our own."_** Venom said before turning to Ivy. **_"Want to prove yourself tonight?"_**

Ivy's grin almost matched with Venom's.

* * *

 **Bank of Gotham**

The security guards lay on the ground dead with looks of pure terror frozen on their faces, while the hostages were being held at gunpoint by masked thugs.

The leader of the bunch was a scrawny man that wore a hood over his head and a noose around his neck while wearing what looked like a gas mask under a burlap sack with an open mouth with stitches attached to the lips along with glowing yellow eyes. On his right hand was a device strapped to it and four syringes with a glowing yellowish liquid in each needle strapped to the back each of his fingers.

The self-proclaimed master of fear paced back and forth on the upper floor as his henchmen kept guard.

"Why do we keep doing this, boss?" one of the goons asked. "I thought grabbing cash was never your gimmick."

"I'm running a little low on Fear Toxin as of late, and I fear that its effects are getting too redundant." Scarecrow ( _Arkham Asylum_ version) replied, his sewn mask mouth stretching with his words as he raised his gloved hand and showed off his syringes. "You know the cost of chemicals and experiments these days."

"I just don't know if we should keep this up." the thug insisted. "You want more drugs instead of just kicking back while the Bat keeps tossing us back in jail."

"Maybe you're right." Scarecrow said in a jovial manner. "Why don't you test out this last dose of Toxin and the rest of us call it a night?"

The thug stood there with a nervous expression as his boss stared him down with a glare.

"Thought so." Scarecrow snarled. "Get back to work. Batman and the police will be here any minute."

In the vault, three thugs were gathering as much money as they could and loading them into large bags.

"Man, this is our biggest score yet." The short one said excitedly.

"Heh, this is way too easy." The tallest of the group gloated.

"Ain't easy with that sack-wearing psycho we're working for." the last one said in a whisper. "I just wanna be away from that freak before this is over."

"It ain't him you should be afraid of anymore. It's the new guy from San Francisco." the tall one said.

"New guy?" the shortest said in confusion.

"You heard of Venom? I've been watching the news the past week and this huge freak with teeth kept coming up. Hell, he's even nastier than Croc. I heard he bites people's heads off." The tall one said with veiled nervousness.

"What the hell is he, anyway? A circus freak, lab experiment, alien?" the short one asked.

 ** _"That…"_** a calm menacing voice from behind. **_"…and your worst nightmare."_**

The criminals froze in fear which was a huge mistake on their part. Startled by Venom's sudden appearance, they could do nothing as Venom efficiently knocked them all out with well powered blows to their heads. All three fell with resounding thuds and moved no more.

The thugs outside continued to watch the hostages until they heard a scream from the vault.

Turning their attention away from the hostages, they saw one of the men crawling from the corner of where the vault was before suddenly being dragged out of view, followed by the sound of fists pounding before he was suddenly thrown to the wall.

As the thugs waited for the attacker to come out from the corner, the ground suddenly bursted as Venom leapt out.

The men opened fire on Venom, who rolled out of the way and shot three tendrils out of his back, yanking the guns from three of the thugs before grabbing them around the heads and slamming them into the floor. Venom ran up, ripped the gun from another thug and ripped his head right off with his teeth. Venom shoots a tendril out to grab a nearby bench and whacks the rest of Crane's men with it, sending them crashing into a wall, all the while Scarecrow and his thugs observed the scene.

"Bad night, Johnny?" a female voice asked playfully behind them.

Crane and his goons turned to see Poison Ivy sitting on a vine swing that stuck to the ceiling, smiling serenely.

Before the goons could fire their weapons, Ivy quickly blew a cloud of yellow dust at the thugs, making them cough before vines sprouted from their bodies and engulfed them in green cocoons, while the other three were grabbed by vines that sprouted from the walls, leaving Crane all by himself.

"Venom and I were hoping to exchange a few friendly words with you." Ivy said as she sauntered over to the master of fear.

Scarecrow glared at the redhead. "And you two couldn't do this 'friendly exchange of words' without decimating my men? It's pretty hard to find such expendable pawns these days, you know. For that matter, how did Venom persuade you to work for him? Threats? Blackmail? Charm?"

"What can I say? It's a toxic relationship." Ivy said with a grin.

"Speaking of which…" Scarecrow said as he whipped out a giant hook with a chain connected at its end. "You wouldn't mind if I take a few samples of your children, would you?"

Ivy glared. "Be my guest."

Scarecrow spun his chain hook at Ivy in which she quickly used several vines to block the attack. Ivy dashed forward and ducked from a punch he threw at her. When she got close, the Green champion delivered a series of punches towards his chest before pushing him back across the floor.

The Scarecrow then saw his opponent rushing towards him, which caused him to spin his chain hook around as a form of defense. The act was successful as Ivy was knocked back a bit, yet she recovered by performing a handspring. The plant woman then ran at him with compacted vines striking his front.

Crane's reaction time was rather slow at this point as Ivy started lashing her vines at him as he was struck several times across his body. The fear doctor flailed on the onslaught and tried to recover. Yet her onslaught wasn't done as Ivy leapt into the air and wrapped her legs around his neck before punching his noggin a good number of times. Once done, she whipped her hips around in order to toss Crane away as he slammed against the balcony.

As the Scarecrow tried to get back up, his shoulders were harshly tugged before he was dragged down to the lobby.

Before the master of fear could get up, he could hear the sound of heavy footsteps behind him before his neck was grabbed by Venom's strong hand as he stared him down with a hungry look.

 ** _"Scared, Johnny Boy?"_** Venom asked.

"I should ask you the same thing." Crane said before quickly jabbing the needles on his fingers into Venom's arm, cackling as the liquid entered the outstretched limb.

His fits of insane laughter slowly came to a halt when he noticed that the Lethal Protector seemed to be undisturbed by the show of hostility and was actually smiling serenely. **_"Performance issues?"_**

"WHAT?!" Dr. Crane shouted in outrage. "You should be on the ground squirming like a bug!"

 ** _"Maybe you forget the fact we're called… Venom."_**

The Lethal Protector grabbed Crane's wrist and tightened his grip until the device the syringes were connected to became dented, snapping his wrist in the process, causing Scarecrow to scream in pain as the remaining drops of Fear Toxin ran down his arm.

"No! No!" Scarecrow screamed in terror as Venom licked his chops.

 ** _"Oh, yes."_** Venom hissed as he leaned closer…

* * *

Minutes later, police began to swarm the bank, arresting all the remaining downed men, hefting them up, while the other cops attempted to remove the other thugs from their plant prisons.

Detective Harvey Bullock searched the perimeter for anything left behind as the other cops tended to the hostages, while Commissioner Gordon looked for the leader of the foiled heist, stopping next to a young woman who had a look of shock on her face.

"Ma'am, where's Scarecrow? Did he get away?" Gordon asked.

"He's dead." the woman simply stated.

"Excuse me?" Gordon asked, shocked.

"You still remember when Venom came to Gotham a week ago? He came in here and killed him. We all saw it." the woman explained. "You want to know the strange part? Poison Ivy was with him. They stopped those men and killed Scarecrow. They… they saved us."

Gordon stood shocked at the information given. He never thought Venom would be working with a dangerous eco-terrorist to stop an even dangerous criminal. But he felt there was more to this than anyone thinks.

"Ya hear that, Commish?" Bullock spoke up. " _Venom_ and _Poison_ Ivy. Working together to stop a junkie that uses a drug that puts shrooms and marijuana to shame. Think it'll catch on?"

"That's the least of our worries." Gordon said before turning to the woman. "Where did they take his body?"

"They took it to the vault." the woman said. "I don't know what it looks like by this point."

Nodding, Gordon gestured for Bullock and two rookies to follow him to the main vault.

As soon as they reached the vault, they prepared their guns as one of the rookies turned the knob and opened the door.

Only to widen their eyes as they saw Scarecrow… only he had seen better days.

The man was obviously mangled as both arms were twisted into bad angles with some bone protruding in a spot or two, both legs looked to have been snapped repeatedly, his clothes were shredded, his gas mask was dented and a piece of burlap sack was torn from the side, exposing a scarred eye, and he was covered in blood that was clearly his own.

What was more disturbing, and shocking, was the large roots that sprouted from the ground and positioned him in a crucified manner, making him look like his namesake.

"Jesus…" Bullock whispered in disbelief, trying his best to hold in his lunch as he took in the sight. "This is even worse than when we found him hanging from that fan years ago."

"Except he's got one hell of a calling card on him." Gordon muttered with narrowed eyes.

* * *

On a rooftop observing the scene, Venom and Poison Ivy smiled at their work before turning to each other with grins.

 ** _"This looks like the beginning of a… beautiful friendship."_** Venom said.

* * *

 **And done! Sorry for the long wait. At least you got to see Venom and Poison Ivy in action, and you got to see Scarecrow be the first of Batman's Rogues' Gallery to be bumped off by the Lethal Protector. And I hope you got that little hint at the beginning~ (but I'm not telling).**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A little more in depth, so to speak. Shows that despite their jaded views, Eddie/Venom still believes in the possibility of second chances, and we managed to get a glimpse of Eddie's… complicated history with the Justice League during his conversation with Ivy, which will be explained in future chapters.**

 **Meanwhile, Wonder Woman has discovered their plans to start their own team that's willing to get their hands dirty. Will she tell her teammates, or will she keep silent and look for Eddie for answers? What do you hope to see next during Eddie's stay in Gotham? Leave a review and stay tuned!**


	10. Two Sides of a Coin

**Wayne Manor**

Bruce Wayne was not having a good night. First a wanted murderer slipped through the Justice League's fingers, then an influential corporation puts him under their protection, then learning that two of his exes have sided with them, and to top it off he had to keep his regular image by going over countless business reports. On the bright side, things couldn't possibly get any worse.

 ** _Ring_**

The sound of his cell phone went off. Looking at the caller ID he had a feeling that this wouldn't be a social call.

"Hello?"

 _"Bruce, Venom struck again."_

Looks like he stands corrected, this night _could_ get worse. It seemed that anytime Clark Kent called him it was never just to say hi.

"Who's the victim this time?" he asked, hoping it would just be a common street thug with bruises and broken bones.

 _"Scarecrow."_

The phone nearly slipped from Bruce's grip before he snapped out of his shock with a glare. "I'm on my way."

* * *

 **Later**

The Batmobile sped through the streets of Gotham before stopping at the bank where the police have taped the area. The driver hopped out of the vehicle to see the Man of Steel himself waiting for him.

"Batman, glad you made it." The bat nods and they head inside. The police were still patrolling the area to see if there was anything left behind in the attack.

The World's Finest continued to look around when they saw Commissioner Gordon and Detective Bullock.

"Batman, Superman, glad you're here."

Batman steps forward and stands in front of the commissioner. "What happened?"

"Venom had stopped Scarecrow and his boys from getting away. There's a majority of them in critical condition and one of them with their head missing." Gordon explained. "But here's the strange part. The hostages said Poison Ivy was with him, helped him take out the rest of Crane's goons before taking him to the vault. I don't even want to know what they did to him in there, but we managed to break his body out of the roots, except the bastard was dead before we could get him out."

Batman narrowed his eyes. Not only was Venom protected by a corporation that endorsed and protected him, but somehow he had managed to sway one of the Dark Knight's rogues to his side to take down another dangerous individual.

"Why would Poison Ivy team up with Venom?" Superman asked.

"Isn't it obvious already?" Bullock spoke up. "There's been a few crazies from Arkham that tried going legit. Ventriloquist's working at Wayne Enterprises, Riddler's become a sorta lone wolf detective, and Mr. Freeze is still somewhere out there trying to find a cure for his wife, yet Venom hasn't even tried taking 'em out. Scarecrow and his boys were exceptions."

"Which means that the next guy on Venom's hit list might get thrown in a cell rather than be torn apart." Gordon concluded.

"We'll look into it. Thank you for your time, Commissioner. Have a good night." Superman said before he and Batman walked out of the bank, going over this new information.

"Bullock, anything you found on Crane's body?" the commissioner asked the detective.

"Scars, bruises, broken bones, leftover plants, lack of pulse. That's about as much as I can get except for that drug glove he carries around." Bullock bluntly listed off.

Gordon looked at him with surprise. "What?"

"Apparently, they're making trophies now."

* * *

 **Eddie's Apartment**

Eddie and Ivy arrived outside of the former's apartment, who currently held the large bag Scarecrow's goons attempted to use to stuff the money in, before they both entered and made their way to Eddie's room.

Half of the room was empty by now, and Anne sat at the table in the kitchen before she noticed them and got up to greet them. "Hello Ivy, glad you decided to join us." she said as she shook the botanist's hand.

"Ivy, this is my girlfriend, Anne Weying. Freelance lawyer. She'll be the head of our legal team." Eddie introduced.

"Girlfriend, hm?" Taking one look over at Anne, she couldn't resist a chance to torment the blonde lawyer. She walked closer to Eddie and rubbed a finger up across his arm. "Oh, I think we're going to be good friends."

 ** _'Joke's on her, she doesn't know we're in a relationship with other hot girls.'_** Venom hissed gleefully.

"Hey, guys. Check this out." Jason called from the living room as he turned up the volume to the television. The news was currently on, and Eddie smirked a bit as he saw Vicki Vale reporting on the scene.

 _"Half an hour ago, Venom, the vigilante of San Francisco, had foiled a heist at the Bank of Gotham that was masterminded by Jonathan Crane, aka the Scarecrow._

 _According to witnesses, he did not come alone. With him was the known eco-terrorist, Poison Ivy, who had escaped from Arkham Asylum since last month. The witnesses said that she had incapacitated a few of Scarecrow's men before engaging him in close combat until Venom apprehended the madman, taking him to the vault for a gruesome end. His body was found mangled and held up by large roots, while Venom and Ivy escaped the scene._

 _Is Venom truly giving those he spares a second chance? Or is there an ulterior motive behind this Lethal Protector's crusade?"_

 ** _'Looks like we made a bigger impression on Gotham than we thought.'_** Venom remarked.

"One less murderer on the streets." Eddie murmured silently before turning to his friends. "Anyway, look what we got." he reached into the bag and took out a metal object before setting it on the table.

"Scarecrow's injectors?" Anne asked in surprise as she observed the broken device.

"I thought it would be better if we kept it as a souvenir, but then I figured it would come in handy when we hand it to Global later." Eddie explained before turning to Ivy. "Make yourself at home, Pam. We'll be taking another patrol."

"Again?" Anne asked. "There's no doubt Batman or any of the League caught wind of this by now."

"If that stunt of ours somehow gets people on our side, then there won't be much of a problem." Eddie retorted before heading out the door.

Leaving the room in silence as Ivy and Anne stared at each other, the latter more focused on the former's… attire.

 _'God, she's hot.'_ she said mentally as a blush began to appear on her face before she broke out of her thoughts. "Alright, Pam. If you're gonna be a part of this team, we need to get you out of those clothes."

She could have sworn she heard Jason spill his drink from the living room.

* * *

Sinestro didn't know how or why, but he got a signal leading to an old warehouse in an abandoned part of Metropolis. He clearly did not expect to see Sean Kruger along with one of the allies of the Justice League waiting for him.

"Sinestro." Sean greeted as Zatanna stood beside him looking cautious.

"Kruger. What do you have to offer for this little meaning?" he asked.

"I've got a proposition for you." The man raises an eyebrow and nods. "I get the authorities off your back and in exchange you lend me your strength to help keep the world safe."

"I'm not interested in how much money you're offering." He denies immediately.

"Of course not. You'd be a part of my own newly formed group. You'd be in charge of making sure that no criminals do as they please with innocents. Even if it means killing them." Sean said seriously. He knew Sinestro was a protector at one point but his methods were frowned upon.

Sinestro stays quiet and just stares at Sean as he pondered the deal. Even with all of this in mind he responds, "I'll admit, I find the idea of keeping those in line appealing, but I don't exactly feel fond of being under someone else's control."

Sean sighed, knowing that not everyone would be swayed so easily, and Sinestro was one of those people. "Think about it, there's no doubt that we'll eventually go up against the Justice League, which includes Green Lantern, over whose method truly works best. You don't have to decide now, but think about what you can do on the outside alongside us." Sean says before tossing a card to Sinsetro, who caught it with ease. "Come to this address if you change your mind."

He knows that Sinestro hates Green Lantern and is hoping that his hate of him will sway him over. If not, then he'll just find another way to get him to join.

Knowing her friend had said his piece that will surely have Sinestro reconsidering, Zatanna casted a spell over herself and Sean that caused them both to vanish someplace else.

* * *

 **Meanwhile…**

"You know something, V?" Eddie said as he walked through one of the few empty streets of Gotham.

' ** _What?'_** Venom asked.

"It's times like these where I think that somehow, someway my life is being played out for another's amusement."

 ** _'How so?'_**

"Well… I find myself in the possession of a borderline horny, chocolate-addicted alien slime, I'm in a sort of open relationship with a lawyer, an extremely hot magician, an Amazon, and now a chick who controls plants."

 ** _'When you put it that way… it does sound like your life is designed for someone's entertainment.'_** Venom hissed in amusement as Eddie stopped in front of a sidewalk.

"Not as entertaining as having a team of superheroes that care more about maintaining a status quo on our asses." the reporter muttered.

 ** _'What are you bitching about, Eddie? We're semi-government until our team is done being formed.'_** Venom said. **_'What_ shouldn't _be entertaining?'_**

As if hearing him say this, a scream came from the streets. Rushing to a corner, Eddie saw a woman and a man being pursued by a half dozen other men, all holding various melee weapons.

 ** _'Wanna relieve some stress?'_**

"You know it."

Before the thugs could catch up to their victims, a large figure landed in front of them, leaving two large prints and cracks in the pavement that reached all way to the back of the group.

 ** _"Alright, boys."_** Venom cracked his knuckles for emphasis. **_"It can go three ways right now. One. You all turn around and haul ass back home. Two. We pound the living shit out of you all in three seconds. Or three…"_** He licked his chops for emphasis, knowing the thugs would get the hint.

The couple behind stared in open shock while their pursuers trembled from the intimidating figure, entrance and words of the Lethal Protector.

For the first time since Venom came here, they made the right choice in turning and high tailing it out of there.

 ** _"Smart decision."_** Venom murmured before turning back to the couple. **_"Are you alright?"_**

The couple shook themselves out of their stupor, still reeling from the sudden arrival of Venom.

"You're that Venom guy I've been seeing all over the news." The man pointed, shaking a bit with excitement and awe.

"Thank you so much." The woman said with a slight tear in her eye, the fear of being chased still fresh on her mind.

 ** _"How far are you from home?"_** Venom asked.

"We came here by car." The man informed.

 ** _"Head there."_** Venom instructed. **_"We'll keep watch over head."_**

"You don't need to do that." The woman said with sincere gratefulness.

 ** _"We're not taking any chances."_** Venom said. **_"Get a move on."_**

"We can't thank you enough for this." the man said. "I don't know what Batman or Superman's problem is with you. You don't seem like a bad guy at all."

 ** _"Don't thank us."_** Venom stepped back. **_"We're just doing the job as they should be doing."_**

And so, Venom was the angel over their shoulder, making sure that no one else had any funny ideas.

Once the two reached their car, they searched the rooftops for their guardian before the girlfriend spotted Venom standing high above. The two waved to him happily and gratefully; Venom simply nodded and watched as the car drove off.

"That was quite a show." a feminine voice said from behind.

Venom whirled around to see the feline vixen of Gotham City, Catwoman ( _Arkham City_ version since she's also sexy).

"Well, there's an old phrase that would fit perfectly right about now, but I guess it's past tense at this point." she purred, intentionally posing provocatively.

 ** _"Is there something you want?"_** Venom asked. **_"Or are you just trying to irritate us?"_**

"Oh, I just wanted to meet the new guy in town before the Bat got a hold of you." Catwoman replied, grinning slightly. "Pretty brutal from what I hear. Just got word that you and Ivy killed Scarecrow not too long ago."

 ** _"Looks like our reputation precedes us."_** Venom grinned. **_"There's no doubt your ex would be pissed off if he heard about it already, or the fact we're here talking to one of his exes."_**

Catwoman blinked in surprise at Venom's knowledge of her past relationship with the Dark Knight, before she regained her composure and grinned even further.

"So, how'd you do it?" she asked curiously. "How did you get Ivy to be Beauty to your Beast?"

 ** _"We probably have so much in common, aside from our different names."_** Venom said bluntly with a shrug. **_"So, what's a girl like you doing dressed up in a cat suit and acting as a sort modern day Robin Hood… with tits?"_**

 _'Yep. Totally a perv.'_ Eddie commented.

Catwoman smirked as she walked up towards Venom with a sway in her hips and a bit more confidence in herself. "Oh, you know, just trying to help out the less fortunate and making the lives of rich crime bosses hell."

Venom chuckled as she stood right in front of him, her chest just almost brushing against his torso due to his height. **_"Is that all you can do?"_**

"Wouldn't you like to know." Catwoman said with a smirk as she trailed a hand down his muscular chest and licked up lips out how solid he felt. "Hmm, I may decide to help myself to something else aside from shiny diamonds tonight… that's assuming that you're up to it?"

 _'You're right. Rich boy's loss is our gain.'_ Eddie said with a little more confidence as Venom chuckled.

 ** _"Sorry kitty, but as much as we want to, we still have other things to attend to in this cesspool of a city."_**

"Aww, why?" Catwoman pouted cutely. "Don't tell me you don't have a wild side to you. Every man has one."

Venom grinned some more. **_"We do have that side you crave so much… but we're not like any man you've seen."_** he finished in a much deeper tone that sent a shiver down the thief's spine.

 _'Wow, on second thought, you do have a way with Earth chicks.'_ Eddie complimented his other when they heard the sounds of sirens going off in the distance.

 ** _"That's our cue."_** Venom said before going to the ledge, only taking one last look at Catwoman with his grin still present. **_"You going to stalk us some more, or do you still have a heist of your own to carry out?"_**

"For the record, I was following out of curiosity." Catwoman said with a smirk.

 ** _"Then you know what curiosity does to cats."_**

Catwoman was a bit taken back by the dark growl his voice became and watched as the creature stepped back, gave her a two finger salute and made an inhuman leap into the air before shooting out a tendril and swung towards the city.

Selina watched him vanish from sight before she adopted an excited grin on her slightly flustered face, an odd rush beginning to course through her. A rush she hadn't felt in years. An intrigue that started with Batman all those years ago that remained today.

Catwoman couldn't help but lick her lips sensually at the thought of learning more about this… Lethal Protector.

* * *

Two-Face (design from _Arkham_ _Knight_ ) sat in the passenger seat of the armored truck he and three of his men had hijacked. Driving was one of his goons while the other two were in the back with the two million dollars worth of coins.

"Easiest heist ever," Two-Face said to the driver. "The Bat's wrapped up in his own case, so I figured now would've been perfect to get some additional fundings."

"Sure thing boss." The driving goon said, paying more attention to the road, only looking at the side mirror to see if the cops were on their tails, and returned his focus. "I think we're good."

Suddenly, the roof of the truck suddenly caved in, the windows shattering and the windshield cracking from something impacting on top of it.

Followed by a face with a gaping maw and narrowed eyes coming into view in front of the windshield.

 ** _"No… you're anything but good!"_** Venom growled.

"Oh shit, it's Venom!" gasped the driver as Venom climbed to the roof of the truck.

"But I thought he was in San Francisco, or Metropolis!" said one of the thugs in the back.

Two-Face then spoke up. "Quit gawking and start throwing lead!"

The thugs in the back took aim at the ceiling and opened fire, leaving a series holes through the back of the vehicle.

Venom merely shrugged off the shots before digging his claws onto the sides of the truck and began rocking it side to side to get the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

"Shake him off!" Two-Face ordered the driver, who tried and failed to keep the vehicle on the road.

"He's too heavy!" the driver panicked.

With one final thrust to the side, Venom sent the truck landing on its side with Two-Face's window facing up before sliding across the street as the pedestrians scurried out of the way until it came to a complete stop.

The disfigured former DA pushed the door upwards and climbed out into the street, not even bothering to check on the unconscious driver as the other two goons forced open the double doors on the back of the truck. They climbed out and a few hundred silver dollars fell to the ground.

As they regained their composure, the ground beneath them shook as Venom jumped in front of them with a snarl.

Before the thugs could get their guns out, their faces were suddenly seized by two tendrils shooting out from Venom's arms, which eventually slammed them onto the underside of the flipped truck, effectively knocking them out.

Two-Face couldn't believe what he was seeing. He shook his head roughly to regain his wits before pulling out and aiming his .45 pistol at Venom, who shot out a tendril to grab his wrist and twisted it, nearly breaking it. "GAH!" Dent yelled in pain as Venom approached before grabbing him by the throat.

He kept his hands on the Lethal Protector's wrist, trying to keep himself elevated slightly. His eyes fearfully stared at the razor-sharp teeth on the anti-hero's grinning maw.

"You won't do it. You won't kill me!" Two-Face shouted.

 ** _"We're not Batman."_** Venom snarled as Two-Face prepared for the worst.

Only to have his lights punched out and be thrown to the ground as Venom looked down at the former DA.

 ** _"But we're not mindless killers either."_** he finished before hearing the shuttering of camera lens and several flashes of white light. He looked around and saw several reporters for whatever news channel they worked for. They got in a circle around him and the unconscious Two-Face. They all began asking him questions which he ignored as he began walking away. In the direction he was going, the circle of bystanders parted like he was Moses and they were the sea.

"Venom, why did you spare Two-Face after you killed Scarecrow?" one reporter asks.

 ** _"Harvey Dent is still a good man inside. It's best you all remember that."_** Venom answered firmly.

He ignored many of the other questions coming his way before he paused at one, "Venom, how did you persuade Poison Ivy, a notorious criminal, to help you take down Scarecrow earlier?" A reporter asked making Venom stop before he turned towards said reporter.

That reporter being none other than Vicki Vale, who looked at him expectantly.

 ** _"We did what no one else could: we opened her eyes to see how her ways in protecting nature are hurting innocents. She's not crazy like the rest of the lunatics from that revolving door you call Arkham Asylum, just misguided. We knew she could be saved, and the same can be said for Dent here. As for Scarecrow, he tortured and murdered many with his toxins and experiments without remorse, and all he had were either weeks or months in Arkham as 'punishment'. People like him don't deserve a chance."_** Venom stated calmly making several of the people blink while more questions were coming in at once.

"Venom! How can you justify Poison Ivy's actions which are criminal and unlawful?" Another reporter asked.

 ** _"Because the real crime is the fact that all of our supposed_** **Great Humanitarians** **_and_** **Leading Researchers** **_have never once offered her a chance to be studied and possibly cured and no one has ever offered her help in funding her research to turn herself back to normal. Yes, she has done wrong, but that's no reason to shun her to the point she becomes the monster that everyone fears she is. If Arkham can't fix people like her, then Global Tech can."_** He stated seriously and with a tone in his voice that people could tell he was passionate about what he was saying, while a few were surprised at his affiliation with one of the most successful companies in the world.

Without another word, Venom walked away before leaping up to the rooftops and disappearing just as the police arrived to take Dent and his goons away.

On top of another building away from the scene, Venom perched on a ledge as he looked over the city.

 _'Just a few steps closer to getting the people on our side.'_ Eddie spoke mentally.

 ** _"This night can't get any interesting."_** Venom grinned.

* * *

The club was filled with smoke and flashing lights. Music thumped loudly, giving the dozens of bodies on the dance floor something to dance to. A single DJ stood on the stage at the front of the club, twirling records with practiced precision, keeping the music coming constantly.

In the back of the club at the employee entrance a single bouncer stood, smoking a cigarette. A panel truck suddenly turned down the alleyway and parked in front of the entrance. The bouncer walked down the steps and moved to the truck, knocking on the driver's side door.

"Hey, man! You can't park here. If you have a delivery, you have to go over to the side."

The door stay shut and the window stayed up. The bouncer slammed his fist onto the door again.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

The bouncer felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir…"

The bouncer turned around and came face to face with a wide, toothy smile. The bouncer looked at the clown-looking man momentarily.

"…you seem upset. I think you just need to smile!"

The flower on the clown's jacket lapel suddenly sprayed a green mist out of it and into the bouncer's face.

"What the fu-hehehehehe…"

The bouncer's face slowly started to stretch into a smile as he started laughing uncontrollably.

 _"Hahahahahahaha!"_

The bouncer howled in laughter before flopping back and falling to the ground dead, his face frozen in the horrid, freakish smile. The Joker removed his hat, smoothing out his green hair as he looked down at the dead bouncer.

"That's better."

The Joker let off a slight chuckle as his man climbed out from the cab of the truck as the rest of his men walked down the alley behind the Joker. A woman dressed in a red and black checkered spandex suit walked out from Joker's group of men, wrapping her arms around the Joker, her mask covered eyes fluttering with the 'puppy dog' love she felt for the Joker.

"Ready when you are, Mistah J." said Harley Quinn.

"Delightful, Harley… now be a doll and have some of the fellas pull out our party popper. Me and the rest'll head inside and warm up the crowd."

"You got it, puddin'."

Joker laughed as he and a few of his men went up the steps and through the employee entrance. Harley stood with her hands on her hips as the other thugs opened the back of the panel truck and climbed in, pushing the large, brightly colored box to the end where a few more thugs ready to lift it out of the truck.

"And be careful with that boys… wouldn't want that popper to go off too soon."

The men looked at each other as they carefully lifted the big box down from the truck.

* * *

 **The long awaited first confrontation between Venom and the Joker finally begins! Might put in a little Venom vs. Batman Round 2 to go along with it.**

 **I should've mentioned this earlier when I introduced the Joker in Chapter 4, but the design I'm using for him would be in fact the one from the DCAU, as in the one seen in _Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker_ , _Static Shock_ , and the _Justice League_ cartoon, with the usual purple suit with the green shirt and flower and purple bowtie, along with the yellow eyes with red pupils. As for Harley Quinn, I'll be using the original version for now.**

 **Anyway, Two-Face has been spared, Catwoman has taken an interest in our Lethal Protector, and Sinestro ( _Injustice: Gods Among Us_ version) is considering the offer to join the team. Stay tuned for more!**


	11. A Laughing Matter

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from _Venom_ , _Justice League_ or any other DC/Marvel material. Sean Kruger and Global Tech belong to Dragonlord0.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The music in the club was so loud it was almost deafening. The throngs of dancers and clubbers moved in one giant mass, arms waving, bodies in constant motion. Everyone was so into doing what they were doing that they didn't notice the security guards patrolling through the club disappearing one by one.

Four men slowly pushed their way through the crowd, carrying a bright purple colored box. The partygoers all split apart thinking that it would be something of a surprise. The four men put the box down in the center of the dance floor and stood around it reaching into packs and pulling out gas masks, sliding them over their heads. The crowd stared curiously for a moment when suddenly the speakers in the club screeched loudly as the turntable's needle was dragged across the record it was playing. The crowd all groan, holding their ears then turned to face the stage. The DJ lay on the ground of the stage, his leg twitching and a man dressed in a bright purple suit stood in front of the turntable dragging the needle back and forth.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, but your regularly scheduled night of fun and debauchery has been cancelled. Tonight I am proud to announce…"

The Joker smiled as Harley walked up behind him holding an uzi by her side.

"…the Jok-tastic-laughing-scream-death-a-thon!"

The Joker laughed as gas mask wearing men throughout the club pulled guns and fired into the air. The clubbers screamed in terror and dropped to their knees, holding their hands above their heads. A few of them tried to run for the exits, but Joker's men stepped out pushing them back into the crowd, keeping them at bay with their guns. A tapping suddenly filled the sound system. Everyone turned to see the Joker tapping on the microphone.

"I'm afraid to say, that there is no escape tonight. It's like a crappy airline movie. You can't change the channel."

The Joker laughed wildly as the clubbers screamed in terror again.

* * *

 **Elsewhere**

Eddie sat on the ledge of a tall building resting his right arm on his right knee as he observed the people on the streets going about their night, others running in hopes of avoiding whatever crime is imminent at this time of night. It was all so similar to what San Francisco had been before Venom had come along.

 ** _'This city is still as ugly as ever since we left.'_** Venom sneered.

"If I didn't know for a fact that this place is a cesspool, I'd say it was almost normal." Eddie muttered. But that didn't bother him much; from what he had heard, he simply needed to wait about an hour before someone set off a bomb or took the city hostage or some other insane scheme.

It was then that his phone started ringing, and he took it out to answer. "Hello?"

From the other line spoke Poison Ivy. _"Eddie. We need to talk."_

"About what, Pam?"

 _"About Harley."_

Eddie sighed when he heard this. He knew Ivy didn't want Harley to be on Venom's hit list. Seeing as the Joker was on it being at the top. "Alright, what about her?"

 _"I do appreciate you wanting to help her as much as I do, but when you promised me that I would be the one to kill the Joker, I was worried about what would happen after."_ Eddie waited for her to continue. _"So I thought you should do the honors._ _And it needs to be you."_ she finished.

Eddie smiled a little. "We already planned on killing that pasty shit; but why does it need to be us?"

 _"Personally I'd like to kill him myself, but deep down I have a feeling that Harley would hate me, even if in secret. If_ you _kill him, it would seem more… professional and not personal like with me. By doing so, Harley would need to 'imprint' on someone else."_ Ivy told him.

Eddie thought about it. "Do you want her to imprint on me, or you?"

 _"Either one works. If she imprints on me, she'll forgive you some day. If she imprints on you, she'll never leave your side."_ Ivy told him.

Eddie nodded. "I've never met the Joker in person so I can't find him yet. He's been under the radar for a while now, but once we find him we'll kill him ourselves, Ivy. Count on it."

 _"Thank you Eddie. I look forward to seeing him dead."_ Ivy said as she ended the call, leaving Eddie to his thoughts.

 ** _'It's sickening.'_** Venom snarled.

"What?" Eddie asked.

 ** _'That a woman like Harley would throw her life away to become a toy to be played with and then broken by some demented piece of shit that doesn't even return her feelings! She deserves better than that. What she needs is a guy who respects her, trusts her,_ pleases _her, not some asshole who orders or pushes her around like some stray dog.'_**

"That's the thing about relationships, V. Nobody can choose who they fall in love with." Eddie muttered, his mind now focused on finding the Joker. "Now, if I were an unhinged clown, where would I be?"

The scanner in his phone suddenly started ringing in his pocket. Taking out his electronic device, Eddie turned it up.

 _"Attention all units, hostage situation at the Heaven and Hell Club! Known assailants, The Joker Gang. Use extreme caution. Do not attempt to intervene, SWAT is en route!"_

Eddie's eyes widened at the mention of the clown's name before he smirked.

"Ready to have the best night of your life?" Eddie asked as the symbiote slowly formed over him.

 ** _'Hell. Yes.'_**

* * *

 **Batcave**

Far beneath the grounds of stately Wayne Manor, Batman sat in front of his massive bank of computers observing some recent reports on Venom. For the sake of comfort, Bruce has removed his mask and cowl.

Coming down the stairs from the Wayne family mansion is Bruce's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, carrying a tray with a tea cup. He pours a cup for his employer and hands it to him.

"It seems that your competition is getting fiercer, sir." the ever-loyal butler spoke.

"He commits murder, Alfred. He's just as bad as the people he's killing." Bruce said.

"Would him sparing Mr. Dent say otherwise?"

Bruce stopped as he stared at one of the screens showing footage of Venom knocking out Two-Face and setting him on the ground. He felt a sense of relief that his old friend was spared, but nevertheless let out a sigh as he focused on the task at hand.

"Still, he has to be stopped before he goes too far. And it's going to be difficult with Global Tech backing him up."

Getting up from the chair, he walked over to the worktable assorted with various tools and unfinished gadgets until he came across one that resembled a large gun with blue rings at the front of the device. This one was saved for the event of another Man-Bat attack.

"The Sonic Cannon might be the only chance we have at taking Venom down." Bruce said as he picked up the weapon.

"How do you intend on luring out Mr. Brock and our extraterrestrial friend?" Alfred asked.

Before Bruce could answer, alarms started going off around the Batcave, and he quickly jumped from the table and moved to the nearest computer, typing a few keys. Bruce quickly turned back around and slipped his cowl back on.

"It's the Joker."

Alfred stared momentarily at him as Batman moved to the Batmobile.

"Do be careful, sir."

"Don't worry, Alfred."

Batman jumped into the black vehicle and turned it on, its engine roaring to life, and then punched it, roaring it out from the cave.

* * *

 **Heaven and Hell Club**

Joker stood on the stage, walking back and forth looking at the watch on his hand. A constant ring of a phone at the bar suddenly caused him to spin around.

"Will one of you idiots answer that phone already?!"

One of his men shrugged and lifted the shotgun he was carrying, putting it on his shoulder, then walked over to the bar lifting the phone up after pulling his gas mask off to talk.

"Uh… hello?"

The man quickly turned back to the Joker.

"It's the cops, boss. They want to know if we have any demands."

Joker smiled, grabbing the uzi from Harley, firing it into the air wildly. The crowd screamed as the bullets impacted in a group of lights above the stage showering sparks down on top of the Joker. Tossing the gun back to Harley, he looked back at the thug who stared at him confused for a second then lifted the receiver backup to his head.

"Guess not…"

"Hang up the phone!" the clown ordered.

"Uh… ok…"

The thug quickly hung the phone up, pulling his gas mask back over his head. The Joker looked back at his watch.

"Screw it… ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?"

The crowd all looked up at the Joker.

"Since our esteemed pointy-headed guest has apparently decided to not respond to my invitation, I have decided to cancel the party."

One of the clubbers spoke up.

"So are you letting us go?"

The Joker started to chuckle, then broke out into a long laugh, pulling out a small remote.

"Not quite!"

Clicking the button on the remote, the box in the center of the club suddenly started to play jack in the box music… slowly speeding up. Harley pulled a gas mask over her own head as the Joker stared on smiling. The giant jack in the box suddenly popped open revealing a giant Joker head. The crowd simply remained silent for a moment… then suddenly green gas began spraying out from the head.

"But look at it this way… at least you'll all die with a smile on your face!"

The crowd shrieked in terror as some started to try to go for the exits only for Joker's men to start firing, killing some of them. The Joker let off a long laugh, but was cut off suddenly as the massive skylight overhead exploded. A large figure dropped straight down. While falling, several tendrils shot from his body in all directions, snagging the guns out of the Joker's thug's hands. Smashing onto the jack in the box, he pushed it back into its container, then leapt off and shut the lid back, cutting off the gas. The green gas that had escaped quickly vented out through the broken skylight overhead. Joker frowned as he looked down at Venom, who glared back at him.

"You're not Batman." the clown growled. "This was supposed to be between me and Bats!"

 ** _"Well, sorry to spoil your fun."_** Venom snarled. **_"But your reign over Gotham ends tonight!"_**

Joker's men rushed forward at Venom, but in a blur the Lethal Protector began moving through them taking them down one by one. He lunged towards two thugs and kicked the one on his right, snapping his neck and grabbed the other thug by the head and twisted it, letting the body fall to the floor. He lunged toward another thug, grabbing his leg before hurling him into another thug, sending them crashing into the wall. He snagged another goon's legs out from under him before slamming his foot on his gut, instantly killing the thug. Another thug tried sneaking up on him, only for a tendril to shoot out from Venom's back and slam the man into the DJ's station, electrocuting the goon to death as several sparks fly everywhere around the stage. The last goon swung a bat at Venom's side, resulting in the weapon breaking off. The goon swallowed a lump as Venom slowly turned to face him with a glare before he bit off the man's head, letting the body stumble to the floor.

With the men taken care of, Venom turned his attention to the Joker and slowly walked towards him, only for Harley to step in front of him with her mallet in hand.

"Stay away from my Puddin', drooley!" Harley declared.

Venom just continued to walk as she charged at him and swung her mallet, only for it to break into tiny pieces upon impact. She looked at her broken weapon for a moment before tossing it aside and got into a stance.

 ** _"Give us your best shot, blondie."_** Venom challenged. **_"We promised_ Ivy _we'd go easy on you."_**

 _That_ certainly got her attention as her eyes widened at the mention of her friend.

 ** _"Made you look!"_** Venom shouted before shooting a tendril at Harley and pinned her against the wall beside the Joker, who raised his uzi at Venom.

As soon as the Joker fired, however, Venom shot another tendril at the clown, sending him crashing into the wall. The Lethal Protector walked towards the clown and grabbed him by the neck before pinning him against the wall.

 ** _"When will you learn that hogging all the attention will get yourself killed one day?"_** he asked sinisterly.

The Joker weakly smiled and replied, "What can I tell you? You're becoming too much of a distraction to these people!"

 ** _"Don't worry, you'll be all over the headlines soon enough!"_** Venom retorted before opening his maw, ready to bite down on the clown once and for all, relishing the look of shock and fear on the clown's face.

Before he could sink his teeth, a small metal object landed next to the two. Venom narrowed his eyes as he saw it was a Batarang.

 ** _"Good news, clown. You get to live a little longer."_** Venom snarled at the Joker before releasing his grip on the Joker and Harley, and then faced down Batman, who had been standing right behind them.

"Batsy, you do care!" the Joker cheered, which caused the Dark Knight to direct his glare towards him.

"Stay out of this, Joker. I'm handling this."

Venom and Batman stared each other down, while the hostages backed up against the wall as they watched the stand-off.

 ** _"You just don't know when to stay out of our business, do you?"_** Venom snarled. **_"One minute, we're in the middle of putting the clown out of Gotham's misery, and suddenly you come to fuck it all up as usual."_**

"I won't let you kill anyone else." Batman glared. "Stand down. _Now._ "

 _That_ was it. Venom savagely growled and shouted, **_"We're done with your lecturing, old man! If you won't let us kill the Joker, then we'll just have to teach you a lesson!"_**

Batman simply readied for battle in response while Venom roared angrily and charged at the Caped Crusader.

Batman hurriedly backflipped over the Lethal Protector and threw some Batarangs at his opponent's back, exploding upon impact, causing Venom to tumble to the floor. Batman jumped on top of him and began to lay multiple punches to the face. Like last time, these punches had no effect on Venom.

In fact, it pissed him off even more.

Venom caught his opponent's next punch and leapt to his feet before swinging the Dark Knight over his head and slamming him into the ground.

Venom grabbed hold of Batman's leg and tossed him across the room before lunging after him, only for the Dark Knight to quickly throw a smoke pellet into his face, causing him to roar as he tried to regain his sight.

As soon as his vision cleared, Venom was greeted with a powerful kick to the face from Batman, knocking him to the ground.

Venom shook his head to regain his senses before looking back at Batman, who had pulled out a gun-like device from the side of his utility belt, and the Lethal Protector's eyes widened as he slowly figured out what it was.

Batman fired the Sonic Cannon, which emitted an incredibly loud screeching noise, causing the clubbers to cover their ears while Venom fell to the floor screaming in pain as the symbiote pulsed and shook in agony.

That was when he remembered something.

From within him, something began to move from his torso until it stopped at the top of his right hand, where the Sonic Nullifier emerged as it stuck to the symbiote.

With whatever strength he could muster before he could writhe away from his host, Venom placed his clawed finger on the button and pressed, and he suddenly felt the sound being blocked out as the Nullifier took effect as his strength returned.

Batman only stared in shock as Venom started shrugging off the effects of the Sonic Cannon, that he failed to see a tendril yank the Cannon out of his hands as it powered off.

 ** _"That… wasn't… pleasant!"_** Venom growled, breaking the Sonic Cannon over his knee in two before he shot a tendril at Batman, pulling him over and delivering a clothesline that brought the Dark Knight to the ground.

Panting heavily from the loud assault from earlier, Venom looked around to see that the Joker and Harley were gone. Irritated that his target had escaped, Venom walked over to Batman and picked him up by the cape before staring him dead in the eyes.

* * *

Outside, Gordon, along with Gotham's best, were tensing up as they heard the commotion coming from inside the club as a crowd formed outside the building, while the other cops were holding back the several reporters that were broadcasting the event. Everyone was on edge hoping that Batman would stop this madness.

Just then, the wall busted open with a figure flying out of the hole before crashing into one of the police cars. Another figure walked out of the hole just made. Venom stepped out with a glare, his white jagged eyes piercing the hearts of anyone who looked into them.

Venom looked at the crowd, noticing that the police had their guns trained on him in case he tried anything before looking at the injured Batman.

 ** _"You're in trouble now, Batshit!"_** he hissed. **_"We had the clown and you let him get away! Well, he would've tasted funny anyway. On the other hand, at least we settled with Scarecrow a little while ago, and he won't be the only one to be put out of Gotham's misery either."_**

Batman got up, bleeding from the mouth. "What makes you think you can be a hero by killing thousands of criminals?" he demands, to which Venom scowled at the same question.

 ** _"To end this cycle."_** Venom told him coldly. **_"If you're supposed to be vengeance, then why didn't you avenge the second Robin after the Joker tortured him and left him to burn? All because you thought, in your words, 'it'd be too damned easy'? That if you go down that place, you'll never come back? This is the real world! Your outdated morals are the reason people are dying, and you still think your way still works when it doesn't!"_**

The many bystanders looked on with shocked looks on their faces, hanging onto every word Venom said to the Dark Knight, while a few were recording the event.

 ** _"Admit it, you and the so-called Justice League have taken the lives of thousands, if not, maybe millions of innocents! The blood that the likes of the Joker have spilled is on_ your _hands! Simply because you refused to do what is necessary and end their evil. So we should be asking you and the Justice League… who are you… to sacrifice others if you can't even sacrifice yourselves? People die because of your choices of letting the most unrepentant filth live. Yes, you can't save them all, but you can make sure that it never happens again. Yet you let it happen, again, again and again… and none of you care."_** Venom finished his rant. **_"The Joker got away tonight because of you. And he'll be killing much more people next time. And if that happens, it'll all be on you."_**

Venom was the only one who noticed the reporters writing things down including the recently arrived Vicki Vale, all of whom were shocked at the information given as the camera crews kept rolling, **_"Well, that's enough of airing your dirty laundry. If you'll excuse us, we have other business to attend to."_**

With another leap, Venom climbed across a building and disappeared into another part of the city, leaving Batman no choice but to bail as he limped towards the Batmobile before entering the vehicle and driving off, while the police entered the club to secure the rescued hostages and collect the injured/dead goons.

With that, the cameras switched off, leaving a fuming and angered Justice League… and a curious populace. What if Venom was right? What if the JLA's "justice" wasn't helping anything?

Regardless of the answer, Venom will have to wait for the results of his handiwork to come into light.

* * *

 **Shame the Joker got away thanks to Batman's interference. But worry not, readers! He will get his dues real soon. In the meantime, Venom will just have to be satisfied that he publicly humiliated and called out the Batman and by extension the Justice League on their failures to bring true justice and their morals which have condemned countless innocents, and we'll see how it will affect their reputation next time.**

 **In the next chapter, we'll see how Wonder Woman is holding up after discovering the plans for the new task force, while Eddie/Venom regroup with their allies, and a surprise awaits back at the mansion. As always, stay tuned!**


	12. Surprises All Around

**To those who were upset that the Joker got away in the last chapter, it's because there's more to the story than just Venom killing unrepentant criminals left and right and Eddie getting in a relationship with several DC girls. There's still character development, conflicts and themes to build up.**

 **The point is, the story is going to be split into several arcs, each with their own set of antagonists, with the Joker being the first, and it's going to take some time for me to decide how he's going to be killed off while deciding the fates of the future baddies. The Joker's death _will_ come in time, but for now, sit tight.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Venom_ or _Justice_ _League_ , which both belong to _Marvel_ and _DC_ , respectively. And the OC, Sean Kruger, belongs to Dragonlord0, which I am using with his permission, so check out his stories.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Batcave**

Bruce sat on the metal table exposed from the waist up. A large bruise covered his back and right side from where he collided with the car earlier. Alfred walked up to the table, setting down a tray with bandages and other medical supplies.

"I'm afraid you have one or two broken ribs, Master Bruce."

"I'll be okay. Just wrap it up."

Alfred sighed as he lifted a roll of bandages and began wrapping them around Bruce's chest and midsection. Bruce winced as Alfred tightly wrapped around his body.

"Venom was able to counter the effects of the Cannon with a gadget of his own, no doubt from Global Tech. Now they know everything we throw at them before we even plan on it." Bruce said as he walked over to the computers.

"Mmm. I may not directly participate in the field, sir, but… well… you and the League made the first move against them. You forced their hand, and they retaliated. Not just that, Venom questioned your principles and the logic of your code. Public opinion has been slowly turning against the Justice League and are questioning their effectiveness." Alfred spoke, giving his viewpoint of the situation.

"Our justice and code keeps people safe. And we don't become like the criminals we fight." Bruce responded as he replayed the footage once more.

"For a time. Yes. It has worked, but there lies a serious flaw in your code to consider. If evil is not appropriately punished and allowed to persist without true consequence, are we truly the solution to the problem? Or are we simply interfering with them, and giving them the chance to improve their technique and skill in destruction and death? Maybe, our way just isn't good enough anymore. People felt that men such as the Joker were not getting the punishment they deserved, so they turned to Venom to do what we refuse to." The loyal butler spoke in a somewhat dejected voice, sad to see what became of events, but also seeing the reasoning and logic behind it all.

"What do you suggest we do Alfred?" Batman asked with a sigh, hoping his oldest friend and ally's wisdom could help him.

"Discretion is the better part of valor in times like these, Master Bruce. We played with fire, and were severely burned. We should not make that mistake a second time. Perhaps the best solution would be to wait this one out until we find a better way to settle things?" Alfred offered, hoping to sway his charge from a self-destructive course of action.

"You're right. The ball is in their court right now." Bruce said as something else came on his mind. "I wonder how the others are taking this."

* * *

 **Diana's Apartment**

Diana lay on her bed as her mind focused on her latest discovery. Eddie forming his own team with Sean's backing and funding. She never would've thought a simple reporter/vigilante would ask for his own team, backed by the whole government no less.

Adding to her shock was the recent broadcast showcasing the hostage situation at one of Gotham's clubs foiled by Venom, the Joker's escape thanks to Batman's interference, and the Dark Knight's subsequent humiliation at the hands of Venom, who then proceeded to publicly lay even more damage to the Justice League's reputation by questioning their morals.

The Justice League has received a bit of criticism in the past, but now it has become fierce now that Venom was able to add more fuel to that flame. In short, tonight wasn't a very good night, but at least it couldn't get anymore intense.

"Diana?"

She almost jumped from her bed as she saw Supergirl standing next to the open window, slightly calming down as her teammate walked towards her. "Oh, it's just you."

"Sorry, but I just caught the news." Supergirl said. "I've been thinking. What Venom just said… are we really helping people, or are we just making things worse just by holding back? People are going to start calling us the real bad guys just for that."

Diana looked at her with a similar conflicted look on her face. That was the same thing she thought about in her time with the Justice League, but that wasn't what she wanted to talk about. Not now at least.

"I've been thinking about that too, but it's also about something else." she said. "It's about Eddie. And Venom as well. I just found something in his home a while ago that might throw off the rest of the League if they found out."

"Really? What is it?" Supergirl asked.

Diana simply sighed, knowing what she was about to say next was going to be difficult to explain.

"Too put it nice and simple… they're forming their own team to get their hands dirty." she finished quickly.

"…what?" Supergirl spoke with a look of shock after a long moment of silence.

"What I meant is that Eddie's forming a team with Sean's help to take down criminals on a more permanent level unlike the League." Diana explained carefully. "I saw it in his journal when I tried to look for something that would at least get the rest of the League off of Venom's back. But I guess that it'll just encourage them more to try and contain him."

Supergirl just stood shocked at the whole notion of Eddie simply asking for his own group. "I don't get it. He's just a reporter with an alien attached to him that eats people's heads for a living. Why would they need their own team?"

"That's what I was thinking about too." Diana said. "We should go over and talk to him. See what we'll find."

* * *

 **Eddie's Apartment**

In the kitchen, Anne was sitting across from Ivy, who was basically in shock.

"Wait, say that again." Ivy said as she brought her hand to her face.

 _'This is why I didn't want to explain this. Zatanna would be better suited for this.'_ Anne mentally cursed.

She backpedaled and said, "Eddie has a complex yet loving relationship with me, Zatanna, and much recently, Wonder Woman. At the same time."

"And you're also in a relationship with him? Everyone of you?" Ivy asked.

"With Eddie, it's not just friends with benefits. It's not meaningless to him, it's a… _real_ relationship." Anne tried to explain. "Listen I know it doesn't make any sense. How can a man possibly love multiple women at once? Well, Eddie is just unique in that regard. Eddie is a man who understands easily. You don't have to be okay with it, just understand that we all care about him as much as he does us. It would break his heart to have to choose between any of us. And this way, he doesn't have to."

Ivy sat back in her chair, overwhelmed by the whole ordeal before she finally settled it.

"Now that you mention it, there's been a few times me and Harley have shared a man on our many nights out, though most of them were under the effects of my pheromones, so I hope you wouldn't mind. Though getting along with the magician and the Amazon might be tricky."

Everyone heard the door slam open, and turned their attention to a panting Eddie.

"Honeys… we're home!" he shouted before slumping against the wall.

"Eddie? What happened?" Anne asked in concern as she and Ivy walked over to him.

"Oh, you know. We stopped a mugging, ran into Catwoman, stopped Two-Face, then stopped Joker from gassing an entire club, gave Batman another good thrashing for letting the clown get away, you get the whole damn picture." he listed off rapidly, describing the night so far as a complete waste.

"Huh… sounds like you had a rough night." Anne said sheepishly as she took in the information.

"Ya think?" Eddie asked with a glare.

"Eddie, was Harley with the Joker?" Ivy asked worriedly, hoping to hear that her friend was unharmed.

"Yeah, unfortunately. But don't worry, we went easy on her, like you asked." Eddie assured her. "Though we _did_ tell her that _you_ wanted us to do just that."

Ivy's face fell into a frown at that. "Great. Now she'll hate me for siding with a hulking, head-biting alien that wants her so-called boyfriend dead."

The tendril with Venom's face emerged from Eddie's shoulder. **_"Don't feel so bad about_ that _. Besides, we did much more than foil the clown's whole attention-hogging scheme."_**

"Hey! You guys might wanna see this!" Jason called from the living room, prompting Eddie, Anne and Ivy to walk over to see the news on.

 _"What was supposed to be a night of partying turned into a night of terror as the Joker threatened to unleash a bomb filled with Joker Gas all over the Heaven and Hell Club, only to be thwarted by Venom, who then immobilized a few of the Joker's henchmen or killed a few others."_ Vicki Vale stated in her report. _"However, because of Batman's unexpected arrival, the Joker and his accomplice Harley Quinn managed to escape during the skirmish between the two vigilantes, with Venom coming out on top. As if to add insult to injury, Venom then proceeded to question the Dark Knight's methods in dealing with crime, which also extend to the entire Justice League. Witnesses on the scene have stated their opinions on this shocking revelation."_

 _"This guy's right! Batman just doesn't wanna see the big picture!"_ a man stated firmly.

 _"He_ wanted _the Joker to get away like he always does!" another citizen stated._

 _"If he were caught, he'd just break out and do it again like the rest of the Arkham freaks!"_

 _"Why do we even trust the Justice League when they don't even give us real justice like this Venom guy does?"_

 ** _'What a way to win a consolation prize.'_** Venom mused as his host smirked at their little victory.

"That's just typical." Jason said, disappointed that his murderer got away, though satisfied that his former mentor got publicly humiliated as he turned off the TV.

"Yeah, sorry we couldn't get the Joker in time, Jason." Eddie said.

The former Robin simply shrugged. "Eh, no big deal. There's always next time. And hey, once we get our hands on him, I say you, me and Ivy tear him to shreds."

"M'kay. That makes us feel better." Eddie mused before his phone started ringing, which he took out of his pocket to answer. "Hello?"

 _"Eddie, you alright? Just caught the news."_ Sean spoke. _"Sorry that Batman helped the Joker get away. You could've saved a lot of lives if he had just shown up a little later."_

"Yeah. Batshit just couldn't have any of it. But at least we did some damage to his big fat ego in front of everyone, so there's something we should be happy about." Eddie said as he heard Sean groan over the other line.

 _"Ah well, there's always next time. Anyway, I just finished gathering the last of the recruits, so you should go home and get some rest. You might wanna get ready for your big meeting with the President tomorrow morning."_

"Got it. See ya tomorrow." Eddie said, ending the call before turning to his friends. "You guys all set?"

"The rest of your stuff's already in the van, so we're good to go." Jason said as he grabbed his helmet from the table.

"Alright then." Eddie said as he looked around the room. "I guess we gotta say goodbye to yet another apartment. At least it was more quieter and spacious than the last one."

 ** _'You're right. I think I'll miss this one the most.'_** Venom mused.

And with that, the four (or five in Venom's case) exited the building and entered the van, with Anne taking the wheel as usual before they gunned it.

* * *

 **Later**

The rest of the drive back to Eddie's mansion wasn't long, as Anne drove her car at the right speed before they finally arrived. As soon as they got there, they were all surprised to see Wonder Woman and Supergirl standing outside with suspicious looks on their faces.

"Eddie? Were you expecting any light night visitors?" Anne asked uneasily, completely not expecting the two members of the Justice League to be back.

 ** _'Guess the rest of the League got the hint already.'_** Venom used.

"Wait here." Eddie whispered before he got out of the van and walked over to the two heroines. "Hey, Diana. Didn't expect to see you and Supergirl back here. Bet you both saw the news? Not our fault Batman didn't listen."

"Drop the act. What are you planning?" Diana asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Eddie frowned.

"You know what the hell I'm talking about. You're forming your own team to do what the Justice League won't. I saw it in your journal a while ago." Diana said, causing Eddie to sigh and rub his forehead in frustration at having been found out.

 ** _'You just had to leave your little book out for a little late night reading, you idiot.'_** Venom hissed at his host.

"Listen… let's just head inside and we'll talk about this." Eddie insisted as the van's doors opened. "Oh, and before we do, don't freak out."

"Freak out over what, exactly?" Wonder Woman asked.

As soon as she asked, both her eyes and Kara's widened as they saw the sight of Poison Ivy exiting the van with a young man on the other side of the vehicle. Before the two heroines could charge at the eco-terrorist, they were suddenly held back by two tendrils that shot from Eddie's arms.

"We told you not to freak out!" Eddie hissed as he held the two.

"You didn't tell us you had a dangerous criminal with you!" Wonder Woman barked.

"Hey! Let's just all calm down so we can discuss this, alright?" Anne spoke out as she got in between them.

"Alright, if we let you go, you promise not to make a move?" Eddie asked both heroines calmly.

Wonder Woman and Supergirl looked skeptical at first, but they both calmed down as the tendrils lowered them and released them from their grip before retreating back into Eddie's arms.

Eddie let out a sigh of relief… until Diana tackled him to the ground and pressed her arm against his neck, surprising the others, who didn't know whether they should help or just watch.

"I thought you said you wouldn't make a move!" Eddie gagged.

Diana smirked as she found a loophole through that promise. "I didn't say I wouldn't make a move on _you_."

"V, do something!" Eddie shouted to his other as the Amazon continued to strangle him.

 ** _'Why? This is getting too kinky!'_** Venom hissed with excitement at the notion of being strangled by a powerful woman.

"Should we do something?" Anne asked as she kept on watching, causing Ivy to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well he's _your_ boyfriend." Ivy mused.

Wonder Woman continued strangling Eddie until Supergirl pulled her off of him, allowing him to gasp for air. As soon as he caught his breath, he stood up and rubbed his throat for a moment.

"Looks like your relationship with the Amazon's going well, Brock." Jason said with an amused smirk.

"Can it, Todd." Eddie glared.

"Todd? As in _Jason_ Todd, the second Robin?" Supergirl asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Why? Am I just another urban legend like the old man?" Jason asked while having the look of amusement still plastered on his face.

"No, we heard about you. Batman just never talked about you much." Diana said before turning to Eddie with a questioning look. "Why are these two with you?"

"What? I thought the Justice League believed in second chances and all that. Ivy here just wants plants to thrive without us stomping all over them. Plus, we promised to help her get Harley out of her relationship with the Joker once we kill him. Secondly, Jason here wants the Joker dead as much as we do. You can say that we all hate the clown for more reasons than one."

"But why form a team?" Supergirl asked. "You've kept San Francisco's streets clean alone before you moved."

"Look, San Francisco may be our home, and _our_ city to be exact, but we can't always protect it alone if there's a criminal stronger than us, even when the police are helping us. Unlike Batshit, we're not gonna turn down any help from some other vigilante when we need it. I'll explain more when we get inside."

Diana wanted to keep the conversation going, but gave in as she and Supergirl walked with the group towards the front door.

As everyone walked inside, they were all surprised to see Zatanna near the entrance to the living room, who had the same look of surprise.

"Zee! I was hoping you'd still be here." Eddie said. "Where's Sean?"

"Oh! Um, I sent him home a while ago so I could tend to some of the… guests." Zatanna said nervously before she composed herself. "Speaking of which, before you come in, don't freak out."

"Come on. What could possibly be as bad as what happened a minute ago?" Eddie asked when they got to the living room… and everyone stopped at what they saw.

A whole collection of villains, ranging from assassins Deathstroke and Deadshot to metahumans Volcana and Livewire, who didn't even look surprised as they saw who entered.

"Eddie? Care to explain before I kick your ass so hard that Venom's gonna need a new host?" Diana asked kindly, though it was obvious she was pissed that Eddie had invited a group of the Justice League's greatest adversaries to his house.

"Yup. This _has_ been a rough night." Eddie said calmly.

 ** _'You think?'_** Venom asked, his equally calm tone hiding a hint of fear at Diana's threat.

* * *

 **Aw, yeah! The whole team's finally assembled!**

 **Sorry for the long wait. I just had so many things on my mind that I didn't have the time to write another bigger chapter, but hopefully this will do. I hope you all had a great late Fourth of July!**

 **As for the other villains/anti-heroes who are on the team, their names will be shown in the next chapter, so sit tight. I don't wanna spoil things.**

 **In the next chapter, Eddie finally explains his reason for assembling the team while also revealing how he had come to resent the Justice League, which will put Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Zatanna's loyalty to their allies, and their morals, to the ultimate test. Then, the team will get the approval they need with the help of an unexpected ally that you all might be familiar with.**

 **In the meantime, what do you think the name of Venom's team should be? Leave a review so I can pick one and why I should choose it. Stay tuned!**


	13. Truths Revealed and Formation

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from _Marvel_ or _DC_. Sean Kruger and any other OC belongs to Dragonlord0 with his permission.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The whole room was silent as the two groups stared each other down. Eddie observed the recruits, the new faces being Captain Cold and Heat Wave, the only two of the Flash's Rogues present, Merlyn, Star Sapphire, Sinestro, Bronze Tiger, Black Spider, Riddler, and Circe, all gathered in the living room staring at him, Anne, Diana, Supergirl, Zatanna, Jason, and Ivy, who in turn stared back waiting for a response.

"Well… this is awkward." Captain Cold finally broke the silence.

"Eddie? Why are there known criminals in your living room?" Diana asked.

 ** _'Sean never told us he would bring them here!'_** Venom hissed.

"So, you're the guy who came up with this whole task force plan." Bronze Tiger spoke up.

"Yeah, all in the job description." Eddie simply said.

Once he said this, mostly everyone broke out in laughter, Heat Wave was the first to get over it, he wiped a tear from his eye. "You? Lead us? You gotta be joking! What you gonna do? Annoy people with your stories?"

Eddie smiled, as if he was going along with the joke… the tendril with Venom's face emerged from his back once more, causing everyone, minus Anne, Diana, Ivy, Zatanna, Kara, Jason, Deathstroke, and Deadshot, to go silent in shock and fear, before he leaned closer to Mick.

 ** _"You were saying?"_** Venom asked, a monstrous grin plastered on his face as his lifeless white eyes practically burned into his soul, he gulped

"Ladies and gentlemen, meet Venom." Eddie introduced the team to the symbiote. "He'll be your co-leader, and maybe your best friend if you behave. As long as you don't get on his bad side in any way, he _probably_ won't eat you."

"So, you're the little devil on Brock's shoulder that Kruger told us about." Frost spoke with a look of interest in her eyes.

 ** _"You guessed it, though you can be the snow angel on the other shoulder anytime, Frosty."_** Venom teased back, earning a flirtatious smirk from Frost in response.

"Now that we're all caught up, anyone has questions?" Anne asked.

"Yeah, why the hell did you bring _them_?" Cold asked, gesturing to Diana, Supergirl and Zatanna. "They're Big Leaguers. They'll no doubt give us away as quick as the Flash."

"In case you haven't noticed, Wonder Woman's an Amazon." Eddie reminded him. "They kill in battle before, and out of everyone in the Justice League, she understands the most. Second of all, Supergirl's in the middle of questioning her goody two-shoes cousin's flimsy code. Lastly… Zatanna and I used to date."

A few of the men present whistled in approval, while others just smirked or rolled eyes, and Circe looked a little jealous at the fact that the woman who humiliated her has been in a relationship with the man who brought them all together.

"Alright, back on track. Now that you're all here, who else has any other questions? Or did Sean answer everything when he spoke to you?" Anne spoke up.

The first one to speak was Black Spider. "Yeah, I was told that I'd be able to avenge my family but I wasn't told that I'd be working with a bunch of criminals." He says looking over at Deadshot.

"I told you that the team was comprised of unique people, I only gave you one name, when I mentioned Kruger you assumed that it would be heroes, that's not my fault. Besides you're just as bad as anyone here." Deadshot countered. Before Black Spider could continue Eddie got everyone back on track.

"We'll get to that in a bit, Spidey…" Eddie paused. "Isn't that somebody else's nickname? Ah, whatever. Anyway, as you may or may not know we brought this group together with the sole purpose of ridding the world of its filth." He was cut off by Merlyn who scoffs as he heard this.

"So basically another Justice League?" Merlyn spoke up, not impressed at all.

"Not quite, while we may have a similar objective in protecting the planet, our methods will have better results. We'll be taking out our targets on a more… permanent level." Eddie clarified.

That made the man's eyebrows raise. From his encounters with the League none had the backbone to ever finish a job.

"That means, people like the Joker, Black Mask, Lex Luthor, they won't be given a second chance if we get to them first. If the opportunity presents itself with anyone beyond redemption, take them out." Anne said.

"So how do we decide who can change like us?" Asked Livewire.

"Anne and Riddler here will take the time to do background checks on our targets and figure out their locations. Though if you want a little more information it'll be those who have committed fucked up acts like murder and rape time and time again and show no signs of stopping." Eddie explained.

Morrow who had stayed quiet through the whole meeting spoke up. "Mr. Brock, if I may ask a question."

"Alright. Ask away."

"You've created an organization to rid the world of evil, yet this group seems to be comprised of mostly all villains and assassins. Why is that?"

 ** _"The reason we are all here is because we've stomached the Justice League's incompetence for the last time."_** Venom said with disdain in his voice. **_"Innocents keep dying, the League takes their murderers to jail where they break out, and the cycle repeats. But not everyone in here is as heartless as the scum we hunt down."_**

"The real reason is because everyone in this room has a very small moral compass. No one here would hesitate to kill someone should we give the order. Take Black Mask for example, the League will argue that we can't kill him because we don't have the right to decide who lives and dies and all that shit." Eddie spoke.

"Meanwhile, he pays his way out of prison and it's back to square one. He continues his drug trafficking and kidnappings and people suffer. If we tell Deadshot to put a bullet between his eyes I know he won't hesitate to do so.

That's not to say that this team will be made up of only former bad guys. In fact, I have a few heroes that I plan on joining us in the near future."

"And how would you be able to convince another member of the League to join us what with their beliefs and all." Sinestro asked, not believing that anyone of the League would join them.

Deathstroke found this to be the perfect opportunity to speak up. "With the creation of the team." He said confidently. "Not everyone shares their black and white view of the world, those who can't speak up because there would be nowhere to go if they left. If they spoke out against what the League believes in that person would be seen as a possible threat and would be monitored by the Justice League. With us they would have somewhere to turn to where people shared similar beliefs and would gain protection from the league."

"Sounds like a cult when you say it like that." Mumbled Frost to Livewire who chuckled.

 ** _"Believe us, our methods may be more extreme, but we all share a common goal: to protect the innocent and to punish the guilty,_ especially _the Justice League."_** Venom said, which caused a few to raise eyebrows at his remark.

"Uh, how exactly are the League guilty?" Livewire spoke up. "Is it because they walked right onto your doorstep and tried kicking the ooze out of you?"

"Actually…" Eddie spoke up, bringing everyone's attention to him. "…it's much more complicated than that. It's been on my mind for a few years now. Lemme ask…" he turns to Supergirl. "If you're still in the League and caught a serial killer, what would you do?"

Kara was somewhat surprised that she was to speak but answered anyways. "Then we'd apprehend him and turn him into the authorities." Eddie nodded.

Eddie nodded. "Right, now picture this: the same guy escapes prison and kills someone else. You repeat the same pattern over and over again. Then one day a family asks you why that guy is still out there. Why you let him kill their child, why you lock him up knowing he'll only break out again." Everyone in the room agreed that this was getting too specific to be any form of rhetorical question.

"A couple years ago, I was an up and coming reporter for the Daily Globe in New York a few months after an invasion on the city that was stopped by the newly formed Avengers. Then a few years later, the Justice League formed when they had their own invasion to deal with. They were my inspiration to help people, to give them something to believe in. I even got to interview some of them a few times, especially the Flash. That was until the next few years when I heard people talking shit about the League, about how much damage they've caused and the people that died in the crossfire over the years because of them. Not only that, but I heard rumors that the Avengers and the Justice League were getting into some… disagreements. I couldn't let that stop me, so I tried to hold onto whatever hope I had for them. That was when the Joker decided to come to New York for one of his 'tours'. He set off random explosives across each part of the city. Dozens died that day. Then the Justice League would show up to save the day, way too late."

"I was there when the Joker was being shipped off back to Gotham. And just after I interviewed the League, I heard a lady talking to the police, and she looked pissed, I tell you. Her name's Miriam Sharpe, and it turned out her son was one of the clown's victims. She yelled loud enough for me to hear her. She was yelling why that bastard was only going back to the hellhole where he escaped from. That it was the League's fault for letting her kid die, that she didn't want anything more to do with them. It would've gotten to their skulls if they hadn't already left." Everyone in the room was hanging on to every word he spoke.

"I couldn't sleep for days after that. But in the few times I did, all I could dream of was Miriam crying for her kid." He finished.

Kara was the most shocked, she had only ever heard positive things about the heroes. She'd never heard anything like this. She didn't know how she'd react if she were the one in that situation.

"All my support for the Justice League crashed down that day. It's true what they say, 'Never meet your heroes'. You can guess how I lost my first job back then a few years later." Eddie continued before taking a deep breath. "I don't hate them for what they do, I just hate the fact that they never finish the job. That's why we formed this team to take out these psychopaths. To make sure no more lives will be ruined again."

Diana was probably feeling the most guilty after hearing that story; all this time, she and the League ignored the slaughter villains like the Joker left in their wake in favor of locking them up. With that in mind, she grew pissed that she allowed her teammates to hold her back for too long.

"All those years of training with your mother and it took you this long to figure it out? Some warrior you turned out to be." Circe said to her nemesis with a scowl, causing Ivy to elbow her in the side.

"And Miriam?" Diana asked shakily, trying her best to compose herself after taking in this information. "How is she now?"

"A few months after I met Venom, we came to visit her." Eddie explained. "She's been running a support group for people who lost their loved ones to psychopaths like the Joker. We promised her we would kill him so her son could properly be put to rest, and that's when she promised to keep our secret. And now we're gonna make good on that promise."

By now, the whole group stood in deep thought. They may despise their respective enemies, maybe even respected them a bit, but after hearing Eddie's story, they were filled with even more resentment and a need to beat some sense into them the next time they meet.

"Alright, how're we gonna do this, boss?" Jason asked, his anger towards the revelation hidden under a calm demeanor.

"If we're gonna take down all crime, there's gotta be rules on how to take down the worst of the worst only. Murderers, rapists, human traffickers, terrorists, psychos, and sadists should be tortured and then torn apart in the worst ways imaginable. Abusers should be crippled, traumatized and jailed for life begging for death every night in their hospital beds or cells. The only ones who deserve to get a slap on the wrist are just pickpockets who are trying to help their loved ones!" Eddie listed off with growing aggression in his voice. "A couple of years ago the current members of the Justice League were branded as criminals by some and then called heroes… and in time so will we. We've watched people suffer for too long. No more. Right now, I need those of you who came today to give me your answer. Are you ready to do the right thing for once and join us?"

There was a moment of silence in the room, and Captain Cold was the first to stand up.

"I'm in." he said with a smirk.

"I'm your guy." Heat Wave added as he too stood up.

"As long as we fight evil and don't lose sight of our goal, then I'm in as well." Black Spider confirmed as he and the rest of the team stood up, confirming their willingness to join.

"From now on, we'll be more than just protectors… we're _Lethal_ Protectors." Eddie said with narrowed eyes.

"Lethal Protectors, huh? I dig it." Jason grinned. "So, when should we meet with the President to legalize this team?"

"Sean had it planned for next morning, but for some reason he wanted us to do it now." Eddie said. "I know how we can get to the White House." he turned to Zatanna, who was also shocked by the information given. "Zee, can you take us there?"

"Alright… but we just wanted to say…" Zatanna stammered.

"We're sorry, Eddie." Diana spoke up. "If we had known about this…"

"Don't be." Eddie somberly cut her off. "You just didn't get the right advice when you signed up. You don't have to join us now, but just think about what we said, alright?" he turned to Zatanna. "Alright, Zee. Work your magic."

* * *

 **The White House, Washington, D.C.**

It took everyone a moment to get a clear view of their surroundings, noticing that they went from a living room to a rooftop…

…with a group of armed men having their guns trained on them the moment they appeared on the roof.

That was when one particular armed man stepped in front of the group towards Eddie.

"Kruger said you were all coming." the man said as he lowered his weapon and shook Eddie's hand. "Rick Flagg Jr. Guess we're both familiar with the kid."

"Really?" Eddie asked in surprise before he and the group saw a familiar face from behind the armed men.

"Hey guys." Sean said as he observed the group. "I assume everything's in order?"

"Good to go." Eddie confirmed, with the group giving a few signs of their agreements to join.

"Good. Also, to any of you in the team. Don't freak out." Sean said, making a few raise their eyebrows before they saw the young man's escort.

To Eddie, Anne and Venom, it was a dark-skinned woman in a blue suit, but to the small few in the group… it was a different story.

"Aw, you're shitting me…" Floyd growled.

"Seems your tongue is still as sharp as your shooting skills, Lawton. Just be glad the Squad days are over." Amanda Waller said with a smirk ever so present.

"Amanda Waller, I presume?" Eddie asked with a raised eyebrow at the woman in question, who simply smirked at him.

* * *

 **Later**

The group was gathered in Waller's personal office, with Flagg and a small group of armed men monitoring the group should they try anything funny.

"Thank you for coming, all of you. Sorry for the slight inconvenience, but I believe that such discussions are best had behind closed doors." she said as everyone got comfortable. Her eyes locked on to Eddie. "Mr. Brock, I'm glad to meet you in person. You've earned yourself quite the reputation in the past year."

"No doubt Sean gave you a background check on me." asked the reporter, his other keeping a sharp eye on all the armed men in the room.

Waller held out her hand and was handed a folder by one of her men, "You and your _friend_ are not as subtle as you think." she opened the folder and laid it out on the desk, inside was a detailed report with several photographs depicting Eddie as he was now and in his Venom form, one of them even had him mid-transformation.

Eddie looked at all of the photos while Waller continued, "I have eyes and ears in several cities, you just happened to catch the interest of one of my informants who reported to me. I had them follow you from a distance and record anything of importance. After that I had a background check done on you as well, it's a shame such a calm, simple life was uprooted so abruptly."

The team wisely stayed silent as they watched the host and the former head of Cadmus closely. Eddie closed the folder and gave Waller his full intention, "Is this blackmail, Miss Waller?" he asked pointedly.

Waller chuckled, "No. This was merely to get your attention. If this was blackmail I wouldn't have had someone of your… _uniqueness_ , brought straight to my personal office. Even though I have full faith in the combat capabilities of my men, I believe that even they would be hard pressed to contain one such as you."

The symbiote decided to make itself known and slithered out of Eddie in tendril form like it had before.

Flagg and the soldiers around them aimed their guns at the creature and its host. But a raised hand from their boss had them lowering their weapons on silent command.

"Not surprising, considering Earth's had many encounters with other extraterrestrial life. Apokoliptians, Martians, the Imperium, the Chitauri. You're the most unique out of all of them." Waller said, resting her elbows on her desk and clasping her hands together.

 ** _"You're a very perceptive human."_** said Venom, **_"Seems that arrogance hasn't died down from what Sean told us."_**

"People like Carlton Drake are far too arrogant for their own good." replied Waller. "The only person with more arrogance than him is Tony Stark, but at least he shows a decent amount of class when it matters."

Eddie leaned forward, "You know what the Life Foundation had been up to?" he asked, a little surprised.

"Drake's people may have been on his payroll, but money can only buy loyalty for so long." Waller replied cryptically, "Getting the information on what he had been doing, who you are and what your partner is, was only mildly difficult. And when all of this came across my desk, I made it a point to get in contact with you and have you come here… but Sean already had us beaten to it."

"Why/ ** _Why?_** " both host and symbiote asked at the same time.

"We had been planning for years for a time when a vigilante would ask for his own team from the very government. When they would grow sick of the Justice League's incompetence and the constant breakouts from corrupt prisons such as Arkham."

"So, you also want to hire us as, what? Your enforcers?" asked Eddie.

"In a matter of speaking. Your reputation precedes you. The incident in New York a few years ago is still going around town. The people began turning away from the Justice League since then." said Waller.

 ** _"So far we have yet to hear of this 'proposition'."_** said Venom.

The former head of Cadmus gave a half-smile, "My proposition is this: If you are willing to offer your services to the government should we require them, you will be not only be paid, but offered protection so you no longer have to run from the law or the Justice League. Our information network will ensure that the League cannot touch any of you here and you all will be free to do as you see fit. And if the League chooses to interfere, then you know what to do. What do you say?"

Both Eddie and Venom took a moment to ponder this proposition. There may come a time when the Justice League decides to interfere with one of their missions, but killing them is definitely out of the question. Instead they should be incapacitated, _humiliated_ , and shown the error of their ways that they'll stop getting into the team's business.

After a few moments of silence, they finally gave their answer.

"Deal/ ** _Deal."_**

Waller smiled at the answer as she stood up. "Then it's best we be on our way. The President must be waiting."

Eddie stood up and took a deep breath. It was now or never. With a sigh he followed Waller out the door with the team following behind.

* * *

 **Hours Later**

Sean called together a press conference held there in the White House. In no time at all were every seat in the room taken up by reporters all anxiously waiting to hear why their President had called the meeting.

When the cameras started rolling, every TV in America had their TV broadcasting the speech. That included the Watchtower where the Justice League were no doubt watching.

As soon as the President finished his statement, he gestured for Sean to come up to the podium so he could give his speech to his audience.

"Citizens of the world," he began. "For years, we've put up with the increase in crime and depravity. The Joker, Bane, Luthor, Metallo. We've allowed these criminals to surface alongside the quote-unquote _heroes_ , and redefine the suffering the everyday scum inflicts on an innocent person."

"And what is the Justice League doing about it? Putting them in cardboard cutouts of prisons like Arkham and Belle Reve so they can escape and give your so-called heroes something to do. Why should we, the people, put up with the whims of these self-appointed protectors? Why should we have to put up with madmen in war machines vaporizing our cities, serial killers hunting your children, human traffickers selling your wives and daughters and lovers into sexual slavery?"

Sean raised his fist. "No more! Starting today, we will take back what's ours from every last criminal on this planet. We show that we will not let murderers, or rapists, or any other filth ruin our lives by taking theirs! Starting today, justice, _real_ , _lethal_ justice, will be definitive and final! Starting today, tyrants will fall and the rogue bureaucrats ruining democracy will be cut down to size!"

Sean lowered his fist, as he took a deep breath.

"That is why we're here to introduce a new task force that our U.S. Government has sanctioned in an attempt to clean the streets of crime and make the world a safer place. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to… the Lethal Protectors."

Venom and the entirety of the team walked out from behind the blue curtains that hung in the room. Once more the reporters were going wild trying to find out more about this revelation. Up in the Watchtower the Flash summed up what was on everyone's mind.

"Oh shit."

* * *

 **Phew! That was a long chapter. Sorry for the delay. I returned to college a month ago and I had been caught up on so much work since then. I can't always update faster, you know?**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it and I know some will be pleased to know that the real fun can now begin. Now we know the truth behind Eddie's distrust towards the Justice League, and now Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Zatanna are beginning to question their place in the League.**

 **On a side note, in regards to one of Eddie's acquaintances, Miriam Sharpe, she's actually a character from the Marvel comics in the _Civil War_ event, and made an appearance in _Captain America: Civil War_.**

 **And I'm just gonna say it, with the mention of the Avengers, this story officially shares the Marvel Universe, a few touches of the MCU. But that's all I can give for now. Won't spoil anything else.**

 **Here are the members as of now:**

 **Venom: Leader**

 **Red Hood: Second-in-command**

 **Deathstroke (Arkham Origins): Commander**

 **Deadshot (Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay)**

 **T. O. Morrow (Young Justice)**

 **Black Spider (Assault on Arkham)**

 **Captain Cold (Arrowverse)**

 **Heat Wave (Arrowverse)**

 **El Diablo (DCEU)**

 **Bronze Tiger (Hell to Pay)**

 **Poison Ivy**

 **Merlyn (Arrowverse)**

 **Sinestro**

 **Circe (JLU)**

 **Livewire (DCAU)**

 **Volcana**

 **Killer Frost**

 **Cheetah**

 **Killer Croc**

 **Riddler (Arkham version)**

 **Star Sapphire (Justice League: Doom)**

 **If you have anymore suggestions on who else should join, please let them be known. Next, you'll see the League's reaction to Venom and his group, and the first missions the Protectors will take. As always, stay tuned!**


	14. First Mission

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from _Venom_ or _Justice League_. _Venom_ is property of Marvel and _Justice League_ is property of DC, and Sean Kruger belongs to Dragonlord0.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The Justice League could only look on in disbelief as they saw many of their villains on the news, led by Venom and sanctioned by Sean no less. Batman saw one particular member of the Protectors standing next to Venom.

"Jason." Batman whispered with shame in his voice, as Superman put a hand on his shoulder to console him.

"Why would Sean decide to just ask the U.S. Government to sanction a group whose members are some of the most dangerous people on the planet. We saw Deathstroke, Deadshot, even Sinestro was there for crying out loud!" Green Lantern ranted.

"If I had to guess, I'd say they negotiated some kind of deal. I can't otherwise see another way to get this approved." said Batman, his mind working overtime trying to figure out how this went down.

"The government doesn't negotiate with terrorists." Insists Superman.

"Maybe Sean had connections with people close to the President. There's no doubt that the government's funding his company that they sent their best people to work for him." Flash says, proving that he says some smart things every now and then.

Martian Manhunter spoke, "What shall we do now?"

Superman stood up with a glare, "I think it's time we owe Kruger a visit."

* * *

 **Global Tech, Hours Later**

Sean sat in his office, watching the news on his tablet until the door burst open. He looked up to see the Justice League, sans Wonder Woman, coming into the room while his secretary tried to stop them.

"You can't just barge in here without an appointment."

"That's okay, Jessie. I was expecting visitors anyway." Sean said.

Jessie nodded her head and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Sean stood up and walked over to a small table that had a stack of cups and pitcher filled with water.

"Took you long enough," said Sean, filling his cup as the League made their way towards him. "Sooner than this, actually. I knew that big speech would get your attention."

"What have you done?" snarled Batman.

"I did what you refused to do. I gave the public the protection it always wanted." Sean said simply as he turned to the the tablet where the news on the newly formed Lethal Protectors kept going.

"You're hiring known criminals to form a death squad of sorts. Not to mention you gave Venom a means to counter his vulnerability to ultrasonics last night." Superman accused with a glare.

"I just couldn't ignore a friend in need. Besides, the people seem to have come out in support of us," he said, as he turned the tablet towards the JL. The team saw Lois Lane interviewing some of the citizens of Metropolis, with one of the interviewees being a man.

 _"What are your thoughts on the Lethal Protectors?"_ She asked before speaking once more in case he didn't know. _"The new government task force."_

 _"I'm honestly happy about it. I heard that Venom killed Scarecrow and if they're going to be handling evil the same way he handled him, then I'm all for them every step of the way."_ He says.

 _"And how do you feel about the current members?"_ She asked as the camera once more turned towards the man.

 _"Well when I first saw who the group was composed of I was a bit surprised, but then I remembered that they're working for our government, so that kind of eased my worries a bit."_ He answered.

 _"Thank you for your time."_ Lois replies as she and Jimmy move onto another civilian. This time it's a middle aged woman who they interview. _"Excuse me miss, would you mind answering a few questions about our president's latest announcements?"_

 _"I have a few minutes so that's fine."_ The lady answers.

 _"The president has made it known that Global Tech had launched a new task force. What are your thoughts on both the group and its members?"_

 _"To be honest, I don't know if the people of America and the rest of the world should be concerned or not. Firstly, why do we need another group? Aren't the Justice League and the Avengers here for the exact same reason? I know the young man running Global Tech has done a lot for us, but isn't forming a group with half its members being known criminals a little extreme?"_

 _"All very valid points thank you for your input._ " Lois says before heading over to another person. This time it was a man in his late 90s who wore glasses. After introducing herself she asks the same questions she's asked the other participants.

 _"Honestly, this may be a good thing."_ He comments firmly.

 _"Why do you think so?"_ She questions genuinely curious.

 _"The Justice League is supposed to be protecting us from all these criminals, yet we see them a month later out doing the same thing. At least the Avengers know what needs to be done. Maybe_ this _is exactly what we need. A group that'll send a stronger message to crime. Mess with us, and it'll be the last thing they do. It's time someone puts these freaks and psychopaths like the Joker down._ " He finishes his piece and turns to look at the camera. _"I don't know if the Protectors are watching this, but if you are, just know that you have a true believer rooting for you guys one hundred percent."_

There was a murmur of agreement from a few passersby offscreen. The League glared from the tablet to Sean, who glared back at them.

"Nobody is going to stand for this madness!" said Green Lantern heatedly.

"You call it madness, I call it salvation." Sean said. "It's not like I'm launching an attack on the innocent people of Gotham or Metropolis – I'm just helping _removing_ proven terrorists. Like the Joker. There's no justifying his repeated insanity plea, that pasty bastard was always a malicious and violent psychopath. There's no helping people like that. These aren't people who can be cured. They're pure evil, down to their core. The only thing we can do with them is make sure they don't hurt anybody else by eliminating them. The people of Gotham, Metropolis, Star City, and whatever city the rest of you protect want to live in peace and safety. I'm just giving them what you never could."

"We're protectors, not murderers," retorted Batman. "We don't have the right to kill repeat offenders, and neither do you."

" _Right?_ " repeated the CEO. "As a part-time government official, I have the _right_ to do whatever I want to keep people all over the world safe. _That's_ my job. I imagine you believe that's your job too. And even though my methods for protecting this city may be more effective, we're the same kind of people."

"I'm sorry you think so," said Superman with a glare.

Sean scoffed. "Right, we are different in one aspect. I give the people what they want, and you won't."

He looked at the tablet again, where Lois was reporting once again, _"…a massive show of public support for the task force formed by Sean Kruger. The debate sparked by the act is already polarizing people to extremes of emotion, but as far as I can tell anyway, mostly in favor of the elimination of the criminals hailing from Gotham."_

 _"…should have been done a long time ago. Drastic action needs to be taken to stop these criminals, and since the Justice League don't have the guts to kill them, I'm glad these guys finally do."_

 _"The violence has to be stopped. If this is the only way to do it, I fully support Global Tech. The world finally has the protectors it deserves."_

Sean turned off the tablet and turned to the JL, who kept glaring.

"It doesn't matter what the people's opinions are. Why would you choose the most dangerous people on the planet for this task force?" Hawkgirl demanded.

"Some of them weren't evil to begin with. Either their lives weren't easy or there was no other way." Sean retorted. "Eddie told me that you said it yourselves: 'Anyone can become good with a second chance'."

"Not through murder. We're trying to prove there are ways around it." Black Canary argued.

"See? There you go again!" Sean pointed out. "You gave chance after chance to those who have a high body count, yet you're saying the members of our team should be thrown back in jail when they're doing the right thing for once? I knew the reasons behind why some of your Rogues turned to crime in the first place. Deadshot's got a daughter, Ivy wants people to respect the environment, and Mr. Freeze is trying to find a cure for his wife. I gave them a way out of their suffering and they took it. What were your solutions to 'redeem' them? Lock them in jail so they can think about what they've done? Fat chance."

"You can't just wash away their crimes with a push of a button." Green Lantern said, stepping forward.

"I can and did, if you have a problem, have your lawyer call mine, but until then, our conversation is over."

"What makes everyone think that Venom makes a better protector even when he massacred, maybe even devoured over a hundred people for a year?" Superman demanded.

"Well, for starters, Venom wasn't the one that was put under Darkseid's control to wreak havoc on Metropolis a few years ago. Oh wait, that was you, Superman. The people still haven't forgotten about what happened that day." Sean said.

At that, Superman's eyes glow red in anger as he put pressure on Sean's desk, who just looked unfazed before he pressed a button under his desk. Then the security team came into the room with their guns pointed at the League.

"Meeting's over. Please, my guards will show you out." Sean said. "Oh, and one more thing. The Lethal Protectors are now under the protection of both Global Tech AND our government. Which means if any of you is even a few feet away from them, we won't hesitate to hunt you down.

The League could only glare at the threat, plus the fact that they couldn't do anything to arrest the members of the Lethal Protectors. But this wasn't over.

"Last chance. It won't matter to us about the situation. If he or any of his subordinates go too far, we _will_ shut you down." Batman warned. And with that, the League left the office with the guards escorting them out.

Sean groaned in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose before leaning against his chair. "Stubborn pricks."

* * *

 **Eddie's Mansion, Hours Later**

"Are you serious?" Eddie asked Sean incredulously over the phone, while Anne, Diana, Kara, and Zatanna watched the conversation on the couch.

Apparently, Sean had called him to inform him of the League's little visit and their rant on the new task force until he sent them packing, but not before the League threatened to shut him down if even one of the Protectors slips up in the slightest.

 _"Yeah, but I hope that'll be the last time they'll visit. Just let them wait until they mistake one of our members walking an old lady across the street for pushing her into the path of an oncoming truck."_ Sean finished his last sentence sarcastically.

 _ **'I knew this would happen. They're trying to look for an excuse to try and jail us.'**_ Venom snarled in anger. Eddie only sighed; even though the League was forbidden from making a move on them for now, he still knew that they weren't going to stop trying to pursue them until they had an opportunity to arrest them.

"Anyway, how are things going over at your place?" Eddie asked, wanting to get his mind off the subject.

 _'Paparazzi almost got me down when the news came out, but things are quieting down since the people know they'll be protected the way they always wanted.'_ Sean said. _'In the meantime, some of our members have decided to make themselves at home at Global. Ivy's getting along well with the botany division in our labs, as is Morrow with the tech division. And Riddler is in the middle of figuring out when and where the next crime's about to hit and our masterminds behind them. We've already put up training rooms for top assassins like Slade and Floyd.'_

"Well you've been busy. Just hope the League doesn't keep getting in our way later. Call you back." Eddie said before hanging up.

"I knew the others would react… negatively about this." Zatanna said with shame in her voice.

"We really need to think about this." Anne warned. "The JL won't back down until they have a justification of wanting to jail our team if they think even one of our members will go out of control."

"Yeah well, that's the Justice League for ya. They'd do anything to catch a 'criminal' even when they're legalized." Eddie said, quoting "criminal" with his fingers for emphasis.

"I just can't believe it." Kara whispered, remembering Eddie's words from last night. "All those years of protecting people, and we forgot about what it really means to be a hero by holding back. I guess we do deserve all the hate."

"Why are you always afraid of not meeting your cousin's expectations?" Eddie asked, getting Kara to look at him fully. "You're technically his older cousin, so you can't let him make the choices for you when they're _yours_ to make. Don't let him or anyone else tell you otherwise."

Kara smiled. "Thanks."

"Guess they won't be seeing you three for now, since they think we 'manipulated' you. Just let their paranoia grow, then we'll kick their asses if they snap." Eddie said with a smirk.

"Eddie!" Zatanna scolded him.

"What? It's Venom's idea." Eddie defended himself, only for a black tendril to burst out of his stomach and smack him across the face for that remark, earning a few giggles from the girls. "Country music for you, then."

 ** _'Can't you do it when we mate with your girls later to set the mood?'_**

"Shut up!"

* * *

 **Later**

Eddie was on his laptop in his room, catching up on anything he missed from his workplace back in San Francisco. Still nothing, though he could still write a story on the formation of the Lethal Protectors. He also had videos of people's reaction to the new task force, many of which were positive, in different tabs, even noting Lois Lane's interview with the old man.

 _ **'Didn't we see that guy already?'**_ Venom asked curiously.

"Now that you mention it, it's like he shows up at every incident with superheroes." Eddie said in agreement.

 ** _'Well, enough about that. Why are we sitting around on our asses when we should be patrolling the city and biting the heads off of crooks we come across?'_** Venom asked impatiently.

"As much as I like to take ya out for a quick bite, the criminal population's probably too afraid to come out ever since the Lethal Protectors were announced." Eddie said. "They've been so confident about having nothing to be afraid of from the JL since they don't kill, but ever since we came into the picture, they're probably shaking in their boots to even make a move right now."

 ** _'Forget the rest of the criminal underworld, when will we get a chance to wipe that grin off the Joker's face since the Bat let him get away?'_** Venom asked.

"That's what I'm also hoping for, but we gotta make some sort of message to prove we're not fuckin' around. Now _that's_ gonna turn that sick smile of his upside down." Eddie said with a smirk, also hoping to get another shot at the Clown Prince of Crime and put him out of Gotham's misery without Batman or the League interfering.

Before host and symbiote could discuss further, they were interrupted by the door creaking open, and Eddie saw Diana poking her head in.

"Wanna come in?" Eddie asked with a raised eyebrow.

Diana blushed in response, but complied and entered before sitting down next to Eddie, noting that he was now watching people's opinions of the Protectors. "You've garnered quite a fanbase, Eddie. I mean, Venom."

"Nah that's fine. I still got _Brock Report_ fans in San Francisco." Eddie said with a smile before looking back at the videos. "We had a lotta support in the past year, but we didn't expect it to skyrocket by simply asking for our own team consisting of ex-villains and anti-heroes, designed to hunt down notorious criminals the JL refused to kill for too long. What do you think?"

Diana said nothing as she thought about what Eddie had said to her last night, but more importantly about what he told her the day they first met.

She was raised and trained as a strong, fierce, yet kind warrior. The problem with that was, in recent years the villains of the world, more specifically the more deranged ones, were receiving far too many second chances, doing crazier and crazier things since they know the heroes won't kill them, or even badly hurt them. And after what Eddie told her that day along with last night's revelation, it made her wonder…

If she wasn't in Man's World and these sort of criminals somehow ended up on Themyscira, she would have likely killed them. So why? Why did she let herself succumb to what society dictates a hero should be like? What was the point of fighting the same villains damn near every week and putting them in prison, only for them to break out and start terrorizing people again? How many times had she held back when she could have easily ended a villain in one move?

"Diana?" Eddie asked her again, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"I… From where I'm standing, the likes of the Joker are too far gone after everything they've done. Believe me, you're not the first one to open my eyes to the truth." Diana replied with a small frown. "I thought I would make a difference in Man's World by joining the League and getting even the worst criminals to see their wrongdoings, only to have our compassion spat on while we kept ignoring their atrocities and the blood spilled while the public continues to hate us for not doing anything about it."

"It's too crazy to believe that _everyone_ will change if you just give them a chance. Batman and Superman always like to say if we kill criminals then we'd be no better than them. They're just trying to make themselves look like white knights to get people to like them, not caring how many more people have to die to prove it. That ain't what a hero does." Eddie commented with a frown.

"Do you think I deserve the same hate the League is getting from the public because of our methods?" Diana asked softly.

"Hell no!" Eddie said with a shocked expression. "You just didn't have the right guidance to keep people safe. You're an Amazon, right? You understand that killing in wars is necessary to save lives like the military, but I don't think the League sees it that way. Whatever anti-hero they recruited and… re-educated, they deserve something better than being forced to hold back. Don't let anyone tell you some other bullshit."

Diana smiled. "Thanks, Eddie."

 ** _'Still the charmer as always.'_** Venom mused.

Both were broken out of their thoughts when Eddie's phone went off.

The caller: "The Wall" herself.

Diana frowned. She still didn't trust that woman since Cadmus tried to kill the League in the past, but now that the organization has somewhat disbanded, her distrust went down slightly, though she still had her doubts.

Eddie groaned before answering, "Alright, Waller, this better be good."

 _'Well good news, Brock… and Venom. You've got your first mission.'_

 _That_ got their attention. This would be the first official mission as a leader of the Lethal Protectors in public.

"What is it?" he asked now curious as closed his laptop and stood up.

 _"You'll find out soon enough. Meet us at Global as soon as you can."_ Waller said before hanging up.

"Do you really trust that woman?" Diana asked with a raised eyebrow.

"From what I heard, Cadmus may have done some shady things in the past with pretty good reason, but they care about protecting their people as much as we do." Eddie assured her.

"I just hope you know what you're doing." Diana said softly before Eddie walked out the door.

* * *

 **Later at Global Tech**

After being given a lift by Anne in her van, Eddie, with the tendril with Venom's face sticking out of his shoulder, walked into Sean's office, where the rest of the newly formed Lethal Protectors have gathered around, with Waller standing next to Sean in front of the latter's desk.

"Alright, listen up!" Waller ordered. "We've received information from Riddler here that Black Mask will be trying to export weapons as well as people he's kidnapped tonight at the Gotham Docks. For tonight, this is a stealth mission, so only a few will go to intercept the shipments. Brock, Venom, Red Hood, Deathstroke, Deadshot, Frost, Croc, Ivy and Cheetah. Free the slaves and destroy the weapons."

"What of Black Mask's men?" Asks Deathstroke.

"Kill them. Leave only one alive with a message." Sean instructed.

"Venom will be in command since he's leader. Pull it off and you'll be paid $100,000. Each." Waller added.

Eddie, Frost and Croc's jaws dropped while Deadshot and Deathstroke kept their composure, though a hundred grand for just some henchmen was a pretty rewarding payment.

 ** _"Do we get double for biting heads off? For me, I mean."_** Venom asked eagerly.

"If you think it's like a video game… be my guest." Waller replied with a smirk.

"It'll be done." confirms Slade, sealing the deal.

"Good. But remember. Even though this may not be Task Force X anymore, we've still got our eyes on you. Don't screw this up." Waller asserted with a glare.

The members stood silent at her subtle threat, but Eddie, Venom and Sean were unfazed.

"We're sure we'll make you happy, Waller." Eddie finally spoke with a smirk before turning to the other members. "You guys OK with sitting back and enjoying the action, or do you wanna come and have a piece of it?"

"Some of us are not suited for stealth, but we'd like to see how this plays out." Sinestro said with a small smirk as Sean took out a tablet.

"Morrow just finished helping my engineers build some special drones ready for deployment around Gotham, Metropolis, Star City, and whatever city the rest of the League's protecting so we can stop whatever crime's in progress before they do."

"You sure drones are a good idea? We didn't have the best experience with those things." Eddie said with a sheepish grin, remembering how Drake's drones and goons had chased him and Venom through San Francisco a year ago.

Sean snickered in response, "Trust me, these drones are designed for tracking down future targets so we can send you to neutralize them."

"Can't wait to see the looks on the League's faces when they realize they can't do shit to us anymore!" Livewire added excitedly, while the other members nodded in agreement.

"Any questions before you go off to your first mission?" Waller asked, waiting expectantly.

"Yeah only one." Eddie said. "Do you really call it Task Force X or is it Suicide Squad?"

"Whichever fits." Waller said with an amused smirk.

"Yeah, neither of them do." Lawton muttered, having always hated even the names of the group he was once forced into.

* * *

 **Later that night**

Eddie, Jason, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Cheetah, and Killer Frost were atop a tall building nearby watching the docks. They could see that there were about thirty men, all armed, walking about the area. Deadshot began assembling his M110 sniper rifle. The semiautomatic feature would do well with this job. Jason whipped out his dual pistols and began loading his bullets.

"Alright guys, here's the plan. First put these on your ears so you can hear us." Eddie says handing each member a small chip. They took a moment to look at their chips and put them on. "Frost, Cheetah, Ivy. You're gonna go down there and wait for Floyd to take the first shot. Once they're distracted by the shots, Frost'll freeze the surrounding area, Ivy will use the seaweeds underneath the docks to grab some goons, and Cheetah will take out a few quick and swiftly. Us, Hood, Slade and Croc will take the rest and leave one barely alive. We find the captives and burn the container with the weapons. Simple enough?" He asks.

"'Us'?" Croc asked, before remembering who Eddie referred to. "Oh, right, you and the other guy."

At that, the tendril with Venom's face emerged from Eddie's shoulder once again. **_"Maybe we'll grab a bite while we're at it."_**

Croc gave a toothy grin in response. "Then I'm all for it."

"Yeah got it. We'll be down there next to those crates." Frost turned around and walked out with Ivy, Cheetah, Red Hood, Deathstroke, and Croc following. Deadshot looked down his scope and waited until he saw Frost, Cheetah and Ivy in position while Slade, Waylon, and Jason got into position elsewhere.

The symbiote took over Eddie, and Venom said to Deadshot, **_"Let the fun begin."_**

Floyd gave the leader a thumbs up before he lined up his sights on the goon who was currently taking a piss off the docks and let off the first shot.

Seconds later everyone was on high alert, bullets flying in the air looking for the unknown assailant. As they were distracted by the oncoming shots taking down their comrades they noticed far too late that the ground, and in turn their legs had been frozen.

The goons standing directly on the docks and not frozen were about to fire their guns, but were suddenly caught by long seaweeds that bursted from the water, courtesy of Poison Ivy who hid behind some crates, before being dragged to their watery grave, while Cheetah swiftly moved through the goons with her enhanced speed and began swiping her claws at the men, dodging their bullets as she moved from one goon to the other.

The other goons who were not frozen barely had time to react as Killer Croc leapt from the dock he was swimming under before clawing and swiping a few with his tail, while Red Hood jumped from on top the crates and swiftly shot down the goons while using all the training Batman had given him by breaking a few bones of a few goons before gunning them down, and Venom leapt from the darkness and began laying waste to the remaining goons, biting a few heads off and tearing off a few limbs, and Deathstroke charged with his katanas and swung them swiftly to carve up a few more goons in his way.

One by one the men were either shot down, slashed, strangled, frozen, clawed, or eaten in Venom's case, until there was only one left. Rather than meet the same fate as everyone else he was shot in the stomach by Deadshot. The ice holding him down shattered and he hit the ground.

Frost put a hand up to the chip. "Nice shooting, I saw where they had the slaves. Hood and I'll go break the locks on the cage and you get ready to set off the explosion." She said, walking with Jason and leaving the remaining goon on the floor under the watch of their teammates, in his condition he was no threat. A few minutes later, they came back, and Venom flashed a toothy grin towards them.

 ** _"You took your sweet time."_** Venom mused.

Killer Croc sniffed a familiar a scent in the air. "Is that gasoline?"

"Take a guess." Jason said with a smirk under his helmet before putting his hand on his chip. "Alright, Lawton. Just shoot the container with the guns and let's beat it before the cops show up. We may not be top of the 'Most Wanted' list anymore but that doesn't mean I wanna deal with them."

Taking his cue, Venom grabbed the remaining henchman by the neck and lifted him up and got him close to his face. **_"Tell Black Mask in case he didn't catch the news. If he keeps this up, the Lethal Protectors will be on his ass next. Beat it, and tell him what you saw here, that is if you don't bleed to death in the next few hours."_**

With that, Venom roughly dropped the man to the ground. The man had trouble getting up but he did eventually and headed out.

All of the slaves had ran the moment their prison had been opened. There was only one thing left to do. Venom and his group ran off, and a second later a gunshot could be heard followed by a giant explosion.

Venom took a moment to admire their handiwork before turning to his teammates with a toothy grin.

 ** _"Mission Accomplished."_**

* * *

 **A/N: And done! Sorry for the long delay, but after many revisions, I _finally_ got it done. I was planning on posting this on my 19th birthday, which was two months ago, or on Thanksgiving, but once again, college held me back. Plus, I'm about to enter Winter Break, and I also begin class on the final week of January next month, so I might have enough time to get focused on this story more.**

 **And with _Venom 2_ in the middle of filming, there's a chance I'll be introducing a certain red-headed redneck psycho to the story so he can give the Lethal Protectors the fight of their lives. And once _Morbius_ comes out next year, then there's also a chance I'll be adding the Living Vampire to the Lethal Protectors, or maybe as a member of Justice League Dark.**

 **Anyway, we finally got to see the Lethal Protectors on their first mission, though I'm sorry you didn't get to see the rest of the Protectors in action, but rest assured, they'll get their moment to shine. And I hope you liked that Stan Lee cameo. It's been a year and we still miss "The Man" already. As always, stay tuned for more!**


End file.
